History, Affiliations and Rankings

Laval University was North America's first French-language university. The colony's first educational institution, the Séminaire de Québec, was created in 1663 by Monsignor François de Montmorency-Laval, the colony's first Bishop. This institution became a university about 200 years later, in 1852, and the foundation for all French-language higher education in Quebec, Canada, and North America. A modern University with centuries of experience, ULaval is a partner for the thriving community of Quebec City as well as an International University with partner institutions across 73 countries. The University has academic affiliations with Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL), International Association of Universities (IAU), Association of Colleges and Universities of the Canadian Francophonie (AUFC), UArctic, Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and U15. Université Laval ranks in the bracket #251-300 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2022. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

The Université Laval campus is located at the heart of Quebec city at a UNESCO World Heritage site and offers an outstanding and safe study and living environment. With its greenspace, woodlands, and extensive network of foot and bike paths, the North-American-style campus and its buildings are easy to navigate and access. The largest Research forest in the world, Foret Montmorency, is located on the ULaval campus. The campus is close to the city center and well integrated into the community, with a rich cultural, athletic, and social life all its own. Université Laval offers a wide range of Undergraduate and Graduate programs in a variety of subjects, with over 550 options to choose from in total across its 60 Academic Departments and Schools. Distance learning, language courses, and continuing education courses are also on-offer at the University. 

Accomplishments and Alumni 

Université Laval is a pioneer in sustainable development, having been the 1st university in Quebec and the 1st in Canada to show a zero-emissions balance without being required to do so by law. Université Laval aims for excellence in all aspects of its mission, management, and administration as an efficient, modern, and transparent organization. They pool their most effective methods to maximize administrative efficiency by basing their activities on collaborative networks and practices. Such initiatives to improve Université Laval will enable them to focus on their core missions of teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. Some of the notable names include, Lise Bissonnette, Journalist and Civil Servant, Marie-Claire Blais, Writer, Henri-Raymond Casgrain, Historian and Priest, Céline Dion, Singer and Maurice Duplessis, 16th Premier of Quebec.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

Over 47,000 students from more than 100 nationalities are enrolled in 500 degree programs at Laval University, which has campuses in Québec City, Montréal, and a number of other cities across the province. Each year, 7,500 international students or permanent residents enroll, accounting for 14% of the overall student body. Université Laval is a leader in student mobility, with over 1,000 students studying outside of Québec each year. In 2020–2021, over 5,950 students are enrolled, with 1,300 of them participating in at least one 50+ activity at Université du 3e âge (UTA). CADEUL, for undergraduate students, and AELIÉS, for graduate students, are two student unions that bring together over 220 students. The integrated university health network RUIS Université Laval provides continuing education for healthcare professionals in Eastern Québec, serving another 1.8 million people. Some of the top recruiters of graduates from the university are Deloitte, EY, CGI and National Bank of Canada.