Fine Arts, Business (John Molson School), Engineering
Concordia University was created on 24 August 1974, when Loyola College and Sir George Williams University merged in Montreal, Quebec. Loyola began as the English-language section of the Jesuit Collège Sainte-Marie, founded in 1848, and became a separate institution in 1896. Sir George Williams grew out of the educational work of the Montreal YMCA, which became Sir George Williams College in 1926. Each parent institution had developed separately in the city for decades before the merger.
The merger left the university with two campuses: the Sir George Williams Campus in downtown Montreal and the Loyola Campus in the west end of the city. Teaching is organised in four faculties: Arts and Science, Fine Arts, Engineering and Computer Science, and the John Molson School of Business. This mix places professional programmes in business and engineering beside the creative disciplines of fine arts within one public university.
The name Concordia comes from the motto of the city of Montreal, Concordia salus, a Latin phrase meaning well-being through harmony. Published figures put enrolment above 35,000 students in recent years, and the exact total depends on how part-time and continuing-education students are counted.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong connections with Montreal’s cultural and business communities. Co-op programs available. Growing research in areas like smart cities and synthetic biology.
Research:
Research strengths in fine arts, communication studies, business, engineering (aerospace, cybersecurity), synthetic biology, and preventative health.
Famous Alumnis:
Mordecai Richler, Annie Murphy, René Balcer, Georges Vanier (Loyola College)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
48000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
230000
Pros
Dynamic urban university with diverse student body, strong in fine arts and business, offers many experiential learning opportunities.
Cons
Large student population, some facilities are spread out, can feel less traditional than McGill.
Best For
Students seeking a vibrant urban university experience with strong programs in fine arts, business, or engineering, often valuing experiential learning and flexibility.
McGill University is a public university in Montreal with medicine, law and engineering as main fields, the other long-established English-language research university in the city.
Université de Montréal, also public and in the same city, is centred on health sciences, artificial intelligence and law.
Polytechnique Montréal is a public engineering institution covering aerospace and biomedical engineering, a parallel for Concordia's engineering faculty.
Carleton University, a public university in Ottawa, lists journalism, public affairs and engineering among its main fields.
Toronto Metropolitan University is a public urban university offering media, business and engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
RMIT University in Australia is a public university in Melbourne with business and law and design among its main fields, close to Concordia's business and arts mix.
Aalto University in Finland is a public university in Espoo covering engineering, information and computer science, and materials.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong is a public university with design, engineering, and hotel and tourism studies.
Technological University Dublin in Ireland is a public university at Grangegorman with engineering, built environment and computer science as main fields.
Northumbria University in the United Kingdom is a public university in Newcastle upon Tyne with design, law and business as main fields.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Why is the university called Concordia?
The name comes from Concordia salus, the motto of the city of Montreal, which means well-being through harmony in Latin. The motto was adopted for the new university created in 1974.
What institutions were merged to form Concordia?
Loyola College and Sir George Williams University joined on 24 August 1974. Loyola had been a separate college since 1896, while Sir George Williams developed from the Montreal YMCA's educational programme.
Where are the two campuses?
The Sir George Williams Campus is in downtown Montreal and the Loyola Campus is in the west end of the city. Both date from the two founding institutions.
Which faculties make up the university?
There are four: Arts and Science, Fine Arts, Engineering and Computer Science, and the John Molson School of Business.
How large is Concordia?
Published figures for recent years give more than 35,000 students. Counting methods differ for part-time and continuing-education students, so applicants should check the university's own latest figures.
What is the background of its Sir George Williams side?
The Montreal YMCA's educational work led to Sir George Williams College in 1926. That college later became Sir George Williams University, one of the two founders of Concordia.
Where does Concordia publish entry requirements?
Requirements, deadlines and tuition differ by faculty and are published on the official Concordia website. Applicants should open the page of the programme they want.
Cybersecurity, Engineering, Innovation, User experience (UX), User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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