Building a Thriving Future:
Wilfrid Laurier University's
Social and Economic Impact

Alumni Impact

In January 2025, Laurier’s alumni office sent out a tailored adaptation of HESA’s survey to better understand the impact Laurier has had on the lives of alumni and their communities.

• 128,000+ living Laurier alumni
• 4,409 alumni completed the survey

Attracting Talent to Southwestern Ontario

Laurier contributes robustly to the talent pool within its local communities. Based on survey responses, it is estimated nearly 10,000 alumni live in Southwestern Ontario specifically because they attended Laurier. Many were drawn here to pursue their education, but stayed to raise families, work, and build businesses in the region, fueling the local economy.

It’s possible that nearly three per cent of Kitchener-Waterloo's total population may be students who moved to the area to attend Laurier and stayed. Likewise, approximately 800 people in Brantford are former Laurier students who moved from outside the area and stayed to build their lives and careers.

Workforce Development and Alumni Success

Career Outcomes

Ninety-four percent of working-age alumni in the survey sample report being employed at least part-time. The median income for Laurier alumni who disclosed their income in the survey is in the $70,000–$90,000 range outpacing many provincial averages.

Entrepreneurial Leadership

Twenty-eight percent of Laurier alumni over 25 in the survey indicated having started at least one business. When calculated out to the broader alumni population, this translates to an estimated 33,000 entrepreneurs and over 27,000 active firms, roughly 90% of which are expected to operate in Ontario. These ventures collectively employ an estimated 305,000 people across Canada.

Work-Integrated Learning

Nearly half of surveyed alumni benefited from co-op, internships, or placements offered by Laurier. Of those, 86% said these experiences positively shaped their careers.

Community and Civic Engagement

Charitable Impact

Laurier alumni gave an estimated $160 million to charity in the last year. 72% of alumni over 25 contributed, a rate higher than the national average.

Volunteerism

Over half of Laurier alumni volunteer, donating an estimated 5 million hours annually to their communities.

Non-Profit Leadership

Almost 9% of surveyed alumni have founded or co-founded a charity or non-profit—amounting to an estimated 10,500 organizations when applied to all alumni, many of which are actively employing staff and tackling local needs.