3 programs, side by side

Rows marked with a dot are where these differ. Everything is each university’s own published wording; the “your average” row is yours, calculated the way each program does it.

	York Science (BSc, First Year Only) OUAC YPU Remove	McMaster Chemical & Physical Sciences Gateway OUAC MPS Remove	Waterloo Honours Science (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low to mid-80s”	83–87%“Mid-80s”	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U	—	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U MHF4U SCH4U or SPH4U or SBI4U 3 additional 4U/M courses +3 more on the program page	English 4U Advanced Functions 4U Calculus & Vectors 4U Chemistry 4U Physics 4U	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Any two of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management, or Physics
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	No	Available	Available
Degree	—	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	100	130
What you study	Chemistry Others in Physical Sciences Others in Subjects Related to Medicine Physics	Astronomy Chemistry Others in Physical Sciences Physics	Biology Chemistry Materials Science Molecular Biology, Biochemistry
What it is	You start your first year studying foundational science — chemistry, physics, and related subjects that prepare you for medicine or specialized science programs. Rather than declare a major immediately, you complete a broad first year, then choose your focus (like biochemistry, physics, or health sciences) once you understand the field better. This suits students who know they want science but aren't certain which direction yet, or who want flexibility before committing.	This is a first-year science program that teaches you foundational chemistry, physics, and related subjects before you specialize. Unlike going directly into a single honours program, you spend your first year exploring different branches of physical science, then choose your final degree path — either a pure science degree or a combined science and engineering degree. It suits students who are strong in math and science but aren't yet sure whether they want to focus purely on theory or blend science with applied engineering.	This program lets you study science broadly — chemistry, physics, biology, materials science, and related fields — at university level. Unlike a specialized honours program in a single science, this one gives you flexibility to explore multiple areas before focusing deeper. The co-op option lets you alternate study terms with paid work in science-related industries. It suits students who are strong in math and sciences but not yet sure which direction to specialize in, or who want practical work experience alongside their degree.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	chemistry physics	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	York University on OUInfo	McMaster University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

Ranges are what each university publishes, not guaranteed cutoffs, and limited-enrolment programs often admit above them. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the university; each column links to its source.