Co-op as a springboard: how much does it pay, and where can it lead?

Co-op: studies and work terms

Co-operative education, or “co-op,” combines studies with work experience integrated into a program. At Victoria, it normally alternates between academic terms and paid work terms, with arrangements that vary by program.

At Waterloo, most co-op programs last five academic years and include four to six work terms. This schedule is specific to the institution; it does not describe every Canadian program. You should also distinguish admission to a co-op program from securing a work term. Waterloo notes that the search is competitive and that a position is not guaranteed.

When choosing, consider both the degree schedule and the work-term search. How many work terms are planned? When do they begin? What happens if you do not find a position? The answers can affect both your budget and your graduation date.

How much do work terms pay? Two university perspectives

The table below provides reference points, not a ranking of institutions. Waterloo publishes hourly averages by group and work-term sequence; Victoria presents monthly averages for a different period.

At Waterloo, the arts group includes fields such as accounting and financial management; the engineering group includes software engineering. These are broad categories, not the salary for every specialization. The averages for first and sixth work terms do not necessarily track the same people, so the difference does not guarantee individual progression.

Victoria also publishes figures by field for the same period: CAD $3,629 per month in business, CAD $3,553 in chemistry and CAD $4,222 for engineering and computer science combined at the undergraduate level. The groupings differ from Waterloo’s. Without knowing the hours worked and the characteristics of the positions, converting a monthly average into an hourly rate would produce a fragile comparison.

In all cases, an average may be higher or lower than the amount in a particular offer. Waterloo notes that employers are not required to follow the published averages.

From the posted salary to your budget

To estimate work-term income, start with the conditions in the offer: pay rate, expected hours and duration. For example, CAD $21.67 per hour × 35 hours × 16 weeks = CAD $12,135.20 gross. The hours and duration in this example are hypothetical; the result is neither an offer nor a net amount.

To move from gross pay to the amount available in your budget, account for applicable deductions and find out about fees associated with the program. Then add expenses related to the work term: transportation, housing, meals or a possible move. Compare what remains with the expenses for that period, rather than looking only at the hourly rate.

Co-op fees deserve a separate line in your budget. At Waterloo, they are CAD $836 per work-term fee instalment from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. The number of instalments depends on the program, so this amount is neither the total cost of the degree nor necessarily a one-time payment. To estimate the total, ask how many instalments are planned for your program, and keep in mind that fees may change.

Finally, prepare a scenario with no work-term pay during the period you are considering. Since securing a position is not guaranteed at Waterloo, this scenario helps you see which expenses must be covered another way and which decisions could wait until an offer is confirmed.

Where can co-op lead?

A work term can help you try out a workplace before choosing a direction after graduation. To make it concrete, note the tasks you completed, the tools you used and the problems you helped address. With the necessary permission, these examples can support an application or portfolio. Colleagues and supervisors you meet can also become professional contacts, though this does not automatically lead to a job.

Published outcomes after graduation should be read with as much care as salary figures. According to the 2024 indicators cited by Waterloo, 96% of co-op graduates who were employed six months after graduation had work related to the skills they acquired at university.

The denominator is important: this percentage applies to co-op graduates who were already employed, not to all graduates. It is therefore not an employment rate. Nor does it show that co-op caused them to be hired, and it does not predict an individual’s outcome.

To compare programs, ask separately about work-term positions, the work-term search and post-graduation outcomes. Always check who is included in each figure and when it was collected.

Universities and programs: three examples to explore

These examples show different ways of integrating work into studies; they are not a list of available programs.

• University of Waterloo: Its co-op programs offer a starting point for exploring alternating study and work terms, fees and salary data by group. Check the sequence for the program you are interested in rather than assuming they all follow the same schedule.
• University of Victoria: The university describes the alternation between study and work and publishes average salaries by level and field. These figures can help you prepare questions, but they do not replace an individual offer.
• Université de Sherbrooke: The “Baccalauréat en communication appliquée — Cheminement coopératif en rédaction” and the “Baccalauréat en communication appliquée — Cheminement coopératif en communication” each offer three paid work terms totalling twelve months of experience. They are a reminder that co-op is not limited to engineering or computer science.

Before applying, confirm the admission requirements and arrangements for your intended intake with the institution. The fact that a program option appears in a listing does not mean that a person is automatically eligible for it.

If you are coming to study from abroad

Questions about working while studying are not resolved simply by receiving a work-term offer. If you are an international student, check with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to confirm the conditions that apply to your level of study, program and situation before you start working. Also ask your institution how it confirms that a work term is part of the program.

Do not assume that another student’s conditions apply to you, or that arrangements for a work term also take care of requirements for working after graduation. For Canadian students, the immigration questions discussed here are not the ones to consider; however, program schedules, fees and conditions remain important for everyone.

Questions to ask before choosing

For each program you are interested in, gather the answers in one table:

1. Program structure: How many work terms are planned, and when? What effect could not securing a work term have on the degree or its schedule?
2. Search: What help does the university provide with finding a position and preparing applications? What kinds of recent positions match your field?
3. Finances: How many co-op fee instalments are planned, in addition to other fees? What expenses would change during a work term?
4. Outcomes: Do the reported figures concern work terms or employment after graduation? Which population is counted?
5. Personal circumstances: If you are studying from abroad, what official conditions must you meet before starting work?

The best comparison is not the one that selects the highest average salary. It is the one that connects a specific program to its schedule, cost and the experience you want to build.