Laval University

What Laval University does

Université Laval is Canada's oldest university (founded 1852) and the largest French-language university in North America, headquartered in Quebec City on a 1.8 km² main campus with 40 buildings. It offers approximately 600 programs across 17 faculties from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels and houses 300+ research units, chairs, centres, and institutes, including the world-leading Forêt Montmorency (the largest teaching and research forest globally), a 6-million-document library system, and the CHU de Québec-Université Laval hospital network. It has educated over 359,000 living alumni over its 350+ year history.

The university operates a digital ecosystem anchored on monPortail (a student portal for registration, academic records, and services), complemented by a MOOC platform that has attracted 250,000+ learners over the past decade, AI-assisted administrative tools, and a Virtual Reality Clinical Simulator for medical training. Its core technology focus spans Arctic/northern research (Sentinel North program with 215+ researchers and 4,600+ scientific papers), collaborative robotics, pandemic preparedness (Canada Excellence Research Chair in zoonotic respiratory viruses), and sustainable development (49% Scope 1+2 GHG reduction vs. 2006 baseline). It ranked 7th globally in climate action on the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and #1 in Canada for organizational culture by Forbes for two consecutive years (2025–2026).

Revenue is generated through four principal streams: (1) majority provincial and federal government grants and subsidies as a Quebec public university, (2) tuition and student fees set under the regulated Quebec framework with differential domestic and international rates, (3) research grants and contracts from agencies such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation and industry partners, and (4) philanthropy via the Carrefour international Brian-Mulroney campaign, which raised $87M in 2024-25 (including a $20M Quebecor gift — the largest single donation in university history) and $49.88M in broader philanthropic support that year. The university distributes programs through direct on-campus enrollment, distance learning, CEGEP-to-university pathways, and international exchange agreements spanning 60+ countries with preferred partners including São Paulo State University, University of Lausanne, Côte d'Azur University, and the University of Bordeaux.

Name

Laval University

Legal name

Université Laval

Website

https://ulaval.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1852

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Université Laval is Canada's oldest university (founded 1852) and the largest French-language university in North America, offering ~600 programs across 17 faculties to undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students in Quebec City and globally via MOOCs and 60+ country exchange networks.

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)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Continuing education
• Distance learning
• Research and consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government funding and subsidies: As a public university in Quebec, Université Laval receives the majority of its operating revenue from provincial and federal government grants, subsidies, and public funding programs.
2. Tuition and student fees: Domestic and international students pay tuition and academic fees for enrollment in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs. Fees vary by program and student origin.
3. Philanthropy and donations: The university raises funds through its philanthropy and alumni relations division. The Carrefour international Brian-Mulroney campaign reached $87 million, with a landmark $20 million donation from Quebecor. In 2024-25, $49.88 million in support was directed to student community, educational innovation, research, and infrastructure upgrades.
4. Research grants and contracts: Université Laval generates revenue through research grants from federal and provincial agencies (e.g., Canada Foundation for Innovation), international research partnerships, and collaborative research agreements with industry and government.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Université Laval is a public research university delivering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education across approximately 600 programs and 17 faculties, together with continuing education, MOOCs, and distance learning. The university also conducts research through more than 300 research units and offers enterprise and consulting services to businesses and government partners. Campus services include libraries, sports facilities, residences, and the affiliated hospital network CHU de Québec.

Product overview

Université Laval operates as a comprehensive university system offering educational services across multiple faculties and schools. The institution provides a portfolio of student-facing digital services including monPortail (student portal), Capsule (academic management), and distance learning options. Additional services include library resources (Bibliothèque with 6 million documents), athletic facilities (PEPS), student residences (2,300 rooms), and enterprise services. The university also offers continuing education, language schools, and summer programs. The digital ecosystem supports approximately 600 programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels across 17 faculties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (1st cycle) Bachelor's-level degree programs across 17 faculties and approximately 600 offerings, delivered on campus in Quebec City and through CEGEP-to-university pathways for Quebec, Canadian, and international students.
• Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs (2nd and 3rd cycles) Master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral research training programs with access to 300+ research units, Canada Excellence Research Chairs, the Sentinel North strategy, and Bourses de réussite scholarships.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development Continuing education, certification, and executive programs for working professionals and lifelong learners, available on campus and at a distance.
• MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) Open online courses available to the public, including the French Immersion Pathway for language learning, accessible globally.
• Distance Learning (Formation à distance) Remote education programs and courses enabling students to pursue university studies fully online from anywhere in the world.
• Services aux entreprises (Business Services) Applied research, consulting, and training services delivered to businesses and government bodies, including the Mouvement Entreprises Vertes Québec energy transition program and the ENAP governance/public market management graduate program.
• Student Residences Sustainable on-campus student residences providing 2,300 rooms, serving enrolled undergraduate and graduate students.
• PEPS Sports Complex (Complexe sportif) One of Canada's largest modern sports complexes offering recreational and competitive sports facilities for students, staff, and the wider community.
• Library Services (Bibliothèque) University library housing 6 million documents and thousands of electronic resources, available to students, faculty, and authorized researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 in Canada for organizational culture by Forbes for second consecutive year (2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered preferred, core and minor.

• São Paulo State University (UNESP)preferredStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Université Laval has maintained a preferred partnership with São Paulo State University since 2007 as part of the university's international development strategy focused on cultivating partnerships with select, renowned institutions.
• University of LausannepreferredStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Preferred partnership established since 2007 with the University of Lausanne, a renowned Swiss research university, supporting joint research, student exchanges, and academic collaborations.
• Côte d'Azur UniversitypreferredStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Preferred partnership with Côte d'Azur University in France, developed since 2007 to foster scientific collaboration, faculty exchanges, and joint academic initiatives.
• Community of Universities and Educational Institutions of Aquitaine (ComUE)preferredStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Six-member university grouping including the University of Bordeaux, with which Université Laval maintains a preferred partnership enabling collaborative research and student mobility across the consortium.
• Université Laval Hospital Centre (CHU de Québec-Université Laval)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated hospital centre comprising Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, CHUL, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise, Centre de pédopsychiatrie de Québec, Maison Paul-Triquet, and Centre de traitement dans la communauté. Serves as the primary clinical training and research platform for the Faculty of Medicine.
• École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ENAP to create a new graduate degree in governance and public market management, featuring a curriculum addressing integrity, strategic performance, accountability, and public procurement alignment.
• Mouvement Entreprises Vertes QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-managed by professors Marc Journeault and Alexandre Gajevic Sayegh, this initiative mobilizes and guides businesses through energy transition and adoption of greener practices. Since March 2024, a team has guided 35 companies and empowered 50+ companies through training activities.
• Institut Mallet pour l'avancement de la culture philanthropiqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner supporting philanthropic culture and community giving initiatives in Quebec.
• ArcticNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversité Laval participates in ArcticNet, a Network of Centres of Excellence, contributing to Canada's northern and Arctic research agenda.
• Québec InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner supporting business services and regional prosperity initiatives.
• Musée de la civilisationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partnership with one of Quebec's leading museums, supporting knowledge sharing and cultural engagement with the university and broader community.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Université de Montréal: Largest French-language university in Canada and ULaval's principal in-province competitor. Comparable on program breadth, research intensity, and Francophone identity, with overlapping student-recruitment channels in Quebec and comparable faculty structures across medicine, law, and sciences.
• Concordia University: Montreal-based public research university with similar scale and Quebec operating environment. Comparable on applied research, professional programs, and continuing education; competes with ULaval for Quebec undergraduates and graduate students.
• McGill University: Major Canadian research university in Montreal, Quebec. Directly comparable in scale, research intensity, and Quebec-based student market; ULaval and McGill are the two flagship research universities in the province and compete for top Quebec students and federal research funding.
• Polytechnique Montréal: Quebec engineering school with comparable research intensity and Quebec-government funding model. Comparable for STEM and engineering graduate students and federally funded research collaborations in robotics and applied sciences (e.g., Clément Gosselin's area of work).
• Université du Québec: Provincial public university network (UQAM, INRS, ENAP, etc.) with the same Quebec government funding model and overlapping student base. Direct competitor for undergraduate Quebec students and federal research dollars, particularly through constituent schools like INRS and ENAP.
• Université de Sherbrooke: Public Quebec research university. Closely comparable in mission (Quebec public research university with co-op and applied research strengths), governance model (Quebec government funding), and student market overlap, making it a structural peer rather than a niche competitor.

Broad incumbents

• University of British Columbia: Major Canadian public research university with comparable scale, multi-campus structure, and large international student population. A broad incumbent peer for federal research funding, international student recruitment, and continuing education.
• University of Toronto: Canada's largest research university and the dominant incumbent for federal grant funding and international graduate students. A broader incumbent peer with overlapping research mission, multi-campus system, and similar continuing-education and MOOC activity.

Emerging players

• Sorbonne Université: Leading French-language research university in France with deep specialization in sciences, medicine, and humanities. Comparable as a Francophone research-intensive peer and a natural partner in ULaval's existing Côte d'Azur/Bordeaux/Lausanne Francophone network; relevant for benchmarking research output and international student mobility.

Regional players

• University of Geneva: Swiss public research university with similar multilingual/bilingual character and strong international research profile. Comparable as a non-Quebec peer with a similar mix of European research partnerships, international students, and Francophone institutional identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/universitelaval
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ulavaltv
• Facebookfacebook.com/ulaval.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universite-laval
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulaval

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laval University