Lakehead University
Programs
43
Range spans
70–70
With co-op
9
Lakehead University is a public research university with campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate programs, graduate programs, the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, the only internationally accredited (AACSB) business school in northern Ontario, and is home to the western campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
How Lakehead actually handles things
From the OUAC’s Guidance Dialogues Resource Guide (Spring 2026), which OUAC publishes for guidance counsellors rather than students. Read the original. Policies change — confirm anything you’re about to act on.
- If you repeat a course
We will use the highest grade to calculate admission and scholarship averages.
- Summer school, night school, e-learning and private school
We accept all Ministry-approved courses regardless of the mode of instruction.
Students must supply transcripts for courses outside of their regular school program. Students must submit summer school courses by August 15, 2026.
- Your Grade 11 marks
We may extend early offers of admission based on exceptional Grade 11 academic grades, conditional upon the student meeting all requirements, as outlined in their offer.
- Whether your OUAC ranking matters
We will assess students for admission to all programs they apply to, regardless of ranking on the OUAC application. Qualified students may receive offers to all programs they apply to.
- If you don't get your first choice
If a student meets our general admission requirements but does not meet their programspecific requirements, we will automatically consider them for an alternative program.
- Supplementary applications
There are no supplemental applications for students applying directly from high school. Exceptions include: o For Music (Bachelor of Music only), an audition is required (in-person or recorded submission accepted). o For Media, Film & Communications, a portfolio is required.
- Automatic entrance scholarships
Guaranteed entrance scholarships for full-time, first-year students with an admission average of 80% or higher in Grade 12 U/M courses (or equivalent).
Entrance scholarships range from $750 to free domestic tuition. These scholarships are renewable annually, provided the student maintains scholarship average. www.lakeheadu.ca/studentcentral/financing-budgeting/ entrance-scholarships-for-future-new-students
- Scholarship deadlines
No deadline for the Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships. • April 25, 2026, for the Presidential Scholarship.
- Scholarships you have to apply for
Presidential Scholarship: $40,000 total value ($10,000 per year). www.lakeheadu.ca/admissions/scholarships-awards-loans
Alumni Entrance Award: $10,000 ($2,500 per year). https://alumni.lakeheadu.ca/engage/nominate
- Bursaries
Up to $3,000 for the Destination Lakehead Bursary for students entering postsecondary studies for the first time.
Application deadlines are April 15 and June 30, 2026. Students can apply through their student portal.
- Special consideration
We give equal consideration to students with an identified disability when Individual Education Plans were in use in their high school program. Students with additional extenuating circumstances that impact their admissibility should contact Admissions for consideration.
- Deferring your offer
Students who received an offer of admission may request a deferral for 1 year (excluding International Dual Degree programs and consecutive education). www.lakeheadu.ca/studentcentral/applying/deferral-of-admission
- When offers go out
We review applications and extend offers of admission on a rolling basis. Students can review their offers via our student portal.
- Tuition deposit
A $200 non-refundable deposit is due by June 1, 2026, to secure a student's spot in their program.
- AP and IB
AP: Applicants who achieved a minimum grade of 4 on the placement exam may receive advanced standing credit, which they may use toward meeting course requirements.
Engineering programs are not eligible for AP transfer credit. • We will grant advanced standing upon receipt of an official transcript from the College Board. • IB: We consider applicants with an IB diploma if the diploma includes the subject area requirements for the chosen program of study. A minimum total score of 24 is required. We may consider IB applicants for advanced standing credit in some subjects with a score of 5 or higher. • Engineering programs are not eligible for IB advanced standing credit. • We will grant advanced standing upon receipt of an official transcript from IB.
- Changing programs
None.
- Transfer credit
We will consider college applicants with 1 complete year of full-time study with a minimum of 70% for transfer credit.
We will consider universitylevel coursework with a minimum 60% for transfer credit.
Transfer credits are automatically considered at the point of admission. www.lakeheadu.ca/studentcentral/applying/ general-admission-requirements
- English proficiency
We offer multiple ways to meet our English-language proficiency requirements: www.lakeheadu.ca/studentcentral/applying/ english-language-proficiency-requirements .
To satisfy English-language proficiency requirements, applicants can complete one of the recognized language tests with the required minimum score. We also accept certain senior-level English courses at the high school level.
Applicants who do not meet the English-language proficiency requirements but meet academic admission requirements will be automatically considered for admission through the Academic English Program (AEP). Once they complete the AEP, they may proceed into an academic program.
Which mark they use when you take a course twice.
Whether courses taken outside your regular day school are treated the same.
Whether they look at Grade 11, and when.
Does the order you list programs in change anything?
Whether they'll offer you a related program instead.
Whether this university wants more than marks.
Money you get for your average without applying for it.
Awards beyond the automatic ones.
If something happened that affected your marks.
Taking a year before you start.
Lakehead's GPA scale — the percentage scale you are graded on once you arrive, from the registrar
Lakehead acceptance rate — why there isn’t one, and the published bars that decide instead
Lakehead entrance scholarships — all 11, and what your average is worth
What you apply to, by subject
Lakehead admits into 24 entry points across these 35 subjects. Some are direct entry; for the rest you apply to something broader and choose later.
- accounting
- architecture
- biochemistry
- biology
- chemistry
- commerce/business
- communications
- computer science
- criminology
- earth science
- economics
- education
- engineering
- english
- environmental science
- finance
- geography
- health sciences
- history
- kinesiology
- languages
- life sciences
- marketing
- mathematics
- medical sciences
- microbiology
- neuroscience
- nursing
- philosophy
- physics
- political science
- psychology
- sociology
- software engineering
- statistics
How Lakehead is set up
Not a ranking — the structural facts that shape what a year here feels like, computed from Lakehead’s own listings. Universities list at different grain (Lakehead lists 43), so read the counts rather than comparing percentages between campuses.
21%
of programs offer co-op
9 of 43 listings. Almost everyone here is on campus for the whole degree.
21/32
subjects you apply straight into
You mostly apply directly to the subject: 21 of 32 common majors are direct entry, so first year is already your program.
Living there
Guaranteed
first-year residence
Lakehead guarantees housing for all high-school students. Its residences are on the Thunder Bay and Orillia campuses.
Source: lakeheadu.ca · checked September 11, 2026
5,967
full-time undergraduates
Fall 2025 count, including the Orillia campus.
Source: Council of Ontario Universities (Ministry data, which counts diploma and certificate students too) · checked September 11, 2026
Compare first-year residence at every Ontario campus
Lakehead open house 2026
- Fall Open House (Orillia)Saturday, November 7, 2026 · 10:00 am to 1:00 pm · In person
- Explore the North (Thunder Bay)Friday, November 20, 2026 · 10:00 am to 4:00 pm · In person · registration required
Every Ontario university open house this fall
Ontario Universities’ Fair, September 26–27. The Lakehead University talk is in room 711, Saturday 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.. Plan your day
A university fair on this campus, Friday, September 18. 21 universities send a table, it is free, and it runs 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Lakehead University, The Hangar. Every city and date
Where it is
Open in Google Maps · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
All 43 programs
show
- 70%Anthropology (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC ANT
- 70–75%Applied Life Sciences (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AA
- 70%Arts One (Thunder Bay)OUAC AB
- 70%Biology (includes Environmental Science, Animal Sciences, Plant Sciences, and Biodiversity and Conservation) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AD
- 70%Business - International Dual Degree (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC ATV· co-op
- 70%Business (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC ATT· co-op
- 70%Chemistry (includes Medical Sciences) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AF
- 70%Computer Science (co-op available) (Thunder Bay and Barrie)OUAC AG· co-op
- 70%Concurrent Education (Intermediate/Senior – Teach Grades 7 to 12) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AL
- 70%Concurrent Education (Primary/Junior) (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AK
- 70%Criminology (Orillia)OUAC AH
- 70%Earth Science (includes Environmental Science) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AI
- 70%Economics (Thunder Bay)OUAC AJ
- 70%Engineering (co-op available) (Thunder Bay and Barrie)OUAC AM· co-op
- 70%English (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AN
- 70%Environmental Management (co-op available) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AO· co-op
- 70%Environmental Sustainability (co-op available) (Orillia)OUAC AP· co-op
- 70%Forestry (co-op available) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AQ· co-op
- 70%French (Thunder Bay)OUAC AR
- 70%Gender and Women's Studies (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAS
- 70%General (Arts or Science) (Thunder Bay, Orillia & Online)OUAC AS
- 70%Geoarchaeology (Thunder Bay)OUAC AT
- 70%Geography and the Environment (includes Environmental Science and Studies) (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AU
- 70%Geology (Thunder Bay)OUAC AV
- 70%History (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AX
- 70%Indigenous Learning (Thunder Bay)OUAC AY
- 70%Interdisciplinary Studies (Orillia Campus)OUAC AZ
- 70%Kinesiology (co-op available) (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAA· co-op
- 70%Mathematics (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAB
- 70%Media, Film & Communications (Orillia)OUAC AAC
- 70%Music (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAD
- 70%Natural Science (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAG
- 70–80%Nursing (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAH
- 70%Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAI
- 70%Philosophy (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAJ
- 70%Physics (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAK· co-op
- 70%Political Science/Pre-Law (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AAL
- 70%Psychology (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AAM
- 70%Science One (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AAN
- 70%Social Work (Thunder Bay and Orillia)OUAC AAO
- 70%Sociology (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAP
- 70%Visual Arts (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAQ
- 70%Water Science (Thunder Bay)OUAC AAR