Ontario Tech University

What Ontario Tech University does

Ontario Tech University is a technology-driven public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, within the Greater Toronto Area. Established in 2002 as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology — Ontario's first new university in over 30 years — it serves 14,000+ undergraduate and graduate students through 105 programs across seven faculties and two schools, including a dedicated School of Artificial Intelligence. The institution is anchored on STEM-focused education and applied research, operating approximately 80 specialized research laboratories and facilities. Its portfolio includes a set of monopoly programs: Canada's only Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program, only accredited Automotive undergraduate engineering programs, only English-language Railway Engineering specialization, and only Forensic Science program fully accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Co-located research infrastructure includes the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE), which is being expanded into a defence technology hub, and the 9,290-square-metre Energy Research Centre.

The university's revenue model blends four streams: tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate programs (annual billing through the Registrar), federal and provincial government funding (including a $91.9M provincial investment announced June 2026, $5M FedDev Ontario for the ACE defence hub, and access to the $357.7M Regional Defence Investment Initiative), research grants and contracts (Mitacs awards, industry research partnerships), and private donations/gifts (including a $1M transformational gift from Sienna for Seniors Foundation). Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and event-driven: prospective students are recruited through the website, digital channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook), campus tours, open houses, and high school outreach, with co-op programs (50+ direct-entry options, 500+ industry partners) functioning as a bottom-of-funnel channel that doubles as a research and industry-partnership engine.

Quantifiable outcomes include an 80% graduate employment rate within field, a 49.7% increase in first-year confirmations since 2021 (record 2,300+ for 2026-2027 — fourth consecutive year above 2,000), the #1 ranking for undergraduate reputation in Canada, and the #1 Undergraduate Research University ranking in Canada (Re$earch Infosource 2025). The institution is led by President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Steven Murphy, with Dr. Les Jacobs as Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

Name

Ontario Tech University

Legal name

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Website

https://ontariotechu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Ontario Tech University is a public STEM-focused research university in Oshawa, Ontario, serving 14,000+ students across 105 programs, including Canada's only Nuclear Engineering and Railway Engineering specializations, with co-op pipelines to 500+ industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE), Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH), Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

Keywords

• Higher education
• STEM university
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Cooperative learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Oshawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, along with fees for various programs and services
2. Government funding: Federal and provincial government investments including $5 million from FedDev Ontario for defence technology hub expansion and $91.9 million provincial investment announced June 2026
3. Research grants and contracts: Funding from government initiatives such as the Regional Defence Investment Initiative ($357.7 million), Mitacs awards, and industry research partnerships
4. Private donations and gifts: Transformational gifts such as the $1 million gift from Sienna for Seniors Foundation establishing the Sienna Senior Living Research Centre for Healthy Aging and Happiness

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ontario Tech University is a technology-driven research university offering 105 undergraduate and graduate programs across business, engineering, health sciences, science, social science and humanities, education, and a School of Artificial Intelligence. Its core offering includes Canada's only Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program, accredited Automotive engineering programs, an English-language Railway Engineering specialization, an AAFS-accredited Forensic Science program, and work-integrated learning through 50+ co-op programs and 500+ industry partners.

Product overview

Ontario Tech University is a technology-driven research university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering consists of undergraduate programs (105 programs across faculties including Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Science, and Social Science), graduate degree programs (master's, PhDs, and graduate diplomas), college-to-university transfer pathways, and continuous learning/professional development through micro-credentials and certificates. Notable unique programs include Canada's only Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program, Automotive Engineering, Railway Engineering Specialization, and the new Master of Social Media Communication in Online Creators. The university provides experiential learning through 50+ co-op programs and 500+ industry partners, and operates research facilities including the Automotive Centre of Excellence being expanded for defence technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs Career-ready undergraduate degree programs across business and IT, engineering and applied science, health sciences, science, social science and humanities, and education, with co-op and experiential learning options. Designed for high school graduates and transfer students seeking STEM-oriented, career-connected degrees.
• Graduate Programs Master's, PhD, and graduate diploma programs across business, education, engineering, health sciences, science, and social science and humanities, designed for students pursuing advanced research and specialized expertise.
• College-to-University Transfer Pathways Bridge programs enabling college graduates to transition into university degree programs with advanced entry or credit transfers, providing a seamless pathway to a bachelor's degree.
• Continuous Learning Professional development courses, certificates, and micro-credentials for career advancement across business, technology, education, engineering, health sciences, and sustainability. Designed for working professionals and adult learners.
• Master of Social Media Communication in Online Creators (The Creator MA) First-of-its-kind graduate program in Canada designed to professionalize work in the creator economy, covering content strategy, monetization, platform dynamics, and AI tools for content creators and digital strategists.
• Railway Engineering Specialization Canada's only English-language undergraduate specialization in Railway Engineering, addressing demand for skilled rail engineering talent through an industry-aligned curriculum.
• Automotive Engineering Programs Canada's only accredited Automotive undergraduate engineering programs of their kind, supporting automotive sector transition and advanced vehicle testing.
• Nuclear Engineering Program Canada's only Nuclear Engineering undergraduate program, with unique-in-Canada energy science and engineering programs covering wind, solar, hydrogen, hydraulic, geothermal, and nuclear energy, training the next generation of nuclear sector leaders.
• Forensic Science Program Canada's only Forensic Science program fully accredited by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
• Medical Laboratory Science Program One of only two degree-granting Medical Laboratory Science programs in Canada.
• Co-op and Experiential Learning Work-integrated learning offering with 50+ direct-entry co-op programs and 500+ industry partners providing paid co-ops, internships, and research opportunities for Ontario Tech students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of graduates employed within their field
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dr. Emilia King and Dr. Zenia KishcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Co-directors of the Master of Social Media Communication in Online Creators (The Creator MA) program, the first-of-its-kind graduate program in Canada designed to professionalize work in the creator economy.
• Rochester Institute of Technology and University of WaterloominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Collaborative research with Rochester Institute of Technology and University of Waterloo analyzing privacy policies and runtime logs from 1,000 Android apps across 43 categories, finding significant compliance gaps with only 4 apps having matching disclosures.
• Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. (Mitacs-Horizon Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp. selected for Mitacs-Horizon Europe International Mobility Award in partnership with Ontario Tech University, supporting engagement in Horizon Europe Cluster 5 activities focused on clean energy, sustainable transport, and climate-related innovation.
• Dr. Winnie Sun and Dr. Shilpa DogracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Lead researchers for the Sienna Senior Living Research Centre for Healthy Aging and Happiness, focusing research on improving happiness and quality of life for seniors based on lived experiences from diverse community settings.
• Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association (APMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Partnership on Project Arrow Phase 2.0 developing two electric vehicle prototypes (Project Arrow Vector and Project Arrow Borealis) featuring AI-designed lightweight chassis via Additive Manufacturing. Phase 2.0 incorporates technologies from over eighty Canadian automotive suppliers and is supported by Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network funding.
• Aegis Critical Energy Defence Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026MoU with Malahat Energy Systems and Ontario Tech University to collaborate on advancing hybrid nuclear energy systems combining small modular reactors with battery storage. Partnership focuses on modeling SMR and micro modular reactor electrical characteristics, designing hybrid microgrid configurations, developing cyber-secure energy management systems, and pursuing hardware-in-the-loop testing with active grant applications.
• AtkinsRéalis and AlstomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025Industry partners supporting Canada's first English-language undergraduate Railway Engineering Specialization program. Launch event included industry panels and bursary announcements, emphasizing demand for skilled rail engineering talent.
• PureVPNminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2025Research collaboration with PureVPN and CQR Cybersecurity revealing that using separate security tools creates exploitable gaps, with 38% of modern cyberattacks targeting fragmented tool stacks. Study found consumers average 3.4 security apps with 44% receiving overlapping alerts.
• General Motors (GM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025GM's $1.3 billion Oshawa investment supports automotive sector transition, with Ontario Tech's ACE Core Research Facility advancing vehicle testing capabilities in partnership with industry initiatives.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Queen's University: Ontario-based research university with strong engineering and applied science programs. Comparable to Ontario Tech in size and Ontario recruitment base, with comparable co-op and experiential learning offerings.
• Western University: Ontario-based research university with engineering, science, and health sciences programs. Comparable in Ontario recruitment, research intensity, and career-focused programming.
• University of Alberta: Western Canadian research university with strong engineering, energy, and applied sciences programs. Comparable to Ontario Tech in STEM emphasis, energy sector research, and industry partnership models.
• Simon Fraser University: British Columbia research university with applied sciences, engineering, and computing programs. Comparable to Ontario Tech as a newer Canadian research university with STEM focus and industry partnerships.
• École Polytechnique de Montréal: French-language engineering school in Quebec with strong applied research and industry partnerships. Comparable to Ontario Tech as a specialized engineering/technology institution with industry integration, though serving a different linguistic market.

Direct peers

• McMaster University: Ontario-based research-intensive university with strong engineering, health sciences, and nuclear research (own nuclear reactor). Comparable to Ontario Tech in STEM emphasis, applied research intensity, and Ontario student recruitment.
• Toronto Metropolitan University: Toronto-based urban university (formerly Ryerson) with career-focused, polytechnic-style programs in engineering, business, and science. Comparable to Ontario Tech in its applied STEM emphasis, urban-adjacent location, and emphasis on career-connected learning.
• University of Waterloo: Ontario STEM-focused research university renowned for its co-op program model with 7,000+ industry partners. Direct comparable to Ontario Tech given similar STEM focus, co-op-driven curriculum, and Ontario high school recruitment base.

Broad incumbents

• University of Toronto: Canada's largest research university with comprehensive engineering, computer science, and applied sciences programs. Broader incumbent in the same Ontario higher education market, competing for top STEM students and faculty but operating at significantly larger scale.
• University of British Columbia: Western Canada's largest research university with comprehensive STEM and applied sciences programs. Comparable as a Canadian research-intensive institution but with broader scope and stronger global brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ontariotech_u
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/OntarioTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/ontariotechu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ontariotech
• Instagraminstagram.com/ontariotechu
• TikToktiktok.com/@otfuturestudent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario Tech University