Facts & Figures

In 2023-24, the total impact of Lakehead University on Ontario’s GDP was $4.54 billion.

• Lakehead contributed $2.57 billion to the economy of Northwestern Ontario
• Lakehead contributed $2.04 billion to the economy of Thunder Bay
• Lakehead contributed $328 million to the economy of the City of Orillia

Software engineering graduate and current Master of Science student Christopher Silver has developed Vantage Protection, a hands-free fall detection device for seniors to be launched in 2025, with the help of the Ascend Accelerator program run by Ingenuity—Lakehead’s business incubator. 

“I was accepted to both the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University’s software programs, but I chose Lakehead because it was the unconventional path that felt right in my gut. I thought I’d have richer experiences at Lakehead, meet more unique people, and that I wouldn’t blend in with the crowd. 

I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for Ingenuity Manager Alyson MacKay and the whole crew at Ingenuity. Alyson put a lot of effort into figuring out what I needed most, and she introduced me to Dr. Michael Dohan, a Lakehead business administration professor who guided me through my business plan and connected me with business partners. I’ve loved my Lakehead experience, which is why I’ve stayed here for my master’s and why I’m considering doing my MBA here.”

— Christopher Silver
Software Engineering Alum (Dipl Eng Tech ’20/BEng ’22)
Master of Science Student
Founder, Silver Vantage Software (start-up company)

Dr. Temitope Ojo graduated with a PhD in Forest Sciences in 2024, but he’s been an active community member and volunteer for much longer. He received a Lakehead Leader Award while still a student, is vice-chair of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (Northwestern Ontario), the citizen representative of the Anti-Racism & Equity Advisory Committee for the City of Thunder Bay, and the second Vice President of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society.

“Lakehead University provided me with an incredible platform to explore my passion for forest sciences and environmental sustainability. The mentorship I received from Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu guided my PhD research and opened up valuable networking opportunities that positively impacted my professional growth. The supportive environment, hands-on learning experiences, and professional development initiatives prepared me exceptionally well, ultimately helping me secure my dream job as a Regional Supervisor with the Ministry of Natural Resources during my final year. My time at Lakehead not only broadened my expertise in forest sciences but also enhanced the leadership and collaborative skills I use daily. Coming to Lakehead as an international student and graduating as a Canadian citizen was a remarkable journey, made possible by the supportive community and transformative experiences I found here. Thank you, Lakehead University.”

— Dr. Temitope Ojo
Lakehead Alum (PhD’24, Forest Sciences)
Community Leader
Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

In 2023-24, Lakehead had the 7th highest 7-year graduation rate among Ontario universities and the highest 7-year graduation rate among Ontario’s primarily undergraduate universities.

35% first-generation students
(neither parent has a degree)

55% of domestic undergraduate students
are from rural/northern communities

12.4% of domestic students
identify as Indigenous

47% of full-time undergraduate students on the
Thunder Bay campus are from Northwestern Ontario

45% of full-time undergraduate students on the
Orillia campus are from Simcoe County

2,432 international students from 92 unique countries—an increase of 9.5 %
(including English Language Program and Exchange Students)

Over the past five years (2019-2023), more than 2,150 international students graduated from Lakehead, with 25% continuing to live and work in Ontario, including 12% in Northwestern Ontario

94.5% of Lakehead senior-year students
have been engaged in a course with applied research

100% of senior-year students participated in experiential learning
(such as community-based learning or co-op)

43% of domestic undergraduate students
receive OSAP based on student need

4% of domestic students with potential
are admitted with lower entering averages

8.6% of domestic students were enrolled
in Lakehead’s unique access programs in 2023-24

Entry programs help students raise their academic average so that they can enter Lakehead degree programs. These include Gateway, the Indigenous Nurses Entry Program, and the Indigenous Transition Year Program.

2025 Maclean’s University Rankings

Lakehead University is Ontario’s top primarily undergraduate university, and fifth in Canada, according to the 2025 Maclean’s University Rankings.

In addition, Lakehead was ranked in the top two among primarily undergraduate Ontario universities for faculty success in securing social sciences and humanities research grants, and third for scholarships and bursaries and overall reputation.

This year’s rankings also reflect the quality and impact of leading-edge research occurring at Lakehead. At just over $69,000 per faculty member, Lakehead continues to have a higher level of sponsored research than many other universities in the province.

Lakehead also scored 1st in Ontario in:

• Student awards
• Faculty-to-student class ratios

The Maclean’s rankings highlight Lakehead’s strong graduation rate, which is the second highest among Ontario’s primarily undergraduate universities—changing the life trajectory for Lakehead grads.

Education PhD student Miana Whitfield is currently working as a research assistant with Education Professor and Associate Dean Dr. Sonia Mastrangelo on a project funded by the Ministry of Education. The project “Raising Voices/Removing Barriers” is being done in collaboration with the Kenora Catholic District School Board and is identifying barriers that prevent students with special education needs from fully participating in all aspects of their school life, for instance, barriers related to academic, social, leisure, and cultural participation. Miana played a crucial role in this research, for which she earned top marks, including undertaking a full literature review, conducting interviews, and doing data analysis.

While working with Dr. Mastrangelo throughout my doctoral journey, including the aforementioned research project, I have grown tremendously as an academic. Dr. Mastrangelo is both incredibly wise and grounded, making her the ideal teacher, mentor, and confidante in my pursuit of a doctorate degree. During our summer research, Dr. Mastrangelo ensured that I was included in all aspects of the project, including the application for the research position itself. This opportunity has prepared me to approach my dissertation study with confidence and has opened my eyes to post-doctoral career paths.

— Miana Whitfield
Lakehead Alum (HBASc ’21/MA ’23)
Education PhD student
Innovative Researcher

Research InfoSource ranked Lakehead University #1 for Not-for-Profit Research Income for five years in a row (2019-2023)

Lakehead was ranked as a Top 3 Research University of the Year (Undergraduate Category) eight times in the last decade (2015 – 2024 Research Infosource Overall Rank)

Lakehead has 73,224 alumni living and working all over the world in 113 countries.

Stephen Low is an explorer, a film visionary, and the director of more than 20 acclaimed IMAX® movies. His 1992 IMAX® film Titanica gave audiences around the world their first-ever look at the wreckage of the doomed ocean liner and inspired director James Cameron’s 1999 blockbuster Titanic. Stephen's 2004 IMAX® film Fighter Pilot inspired Tom Cruise’s 2022 smash hit Top Gun: Maverick. But before becoming a boundary-breaking film director, he studied political science and philosophy at Lakehead. 

“Political science and philosophy focus on understanding fundamental human relations, which is incredibly important because we still don’t understand ourselves. Studying at Lakehead freed me from the dogma of high school. For the first time, I had teachers that I could debate with like I’d always done with my filmmaker father at the dinner table. And if you look at a map, Lakehead is one of the most remote universities in Canada—being there allowed me to explore Lake Superior, learn to scuba dive, ski, swim, and sail. Lakehead was a great launching pad for my career.”

— Stephen Low
Lakehead Alum (BA ’74)
Lakehead 2005 Alumni Honour Award Recipient & 2023 Honorary Degree Recipient
Winner of a Kodak Vision Award for Lifetime Achievement
Honorary Member of the Director’s Guild of Canada
Member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Country of Origin
Lakehead students—and by extension, alumni—come from 144 countries across the globe. This means that Lakehead’s global footprint touches almost 75% of the world’s 195 countries.

Location Stats
78% of alumni live in Ontario
45% of alumni live in Thunder Bay and northern Ontario
22% of alumni live within a 100 km radius of Toronto

Giving Tuesday
$367,900 was raised on Giving Tuesday in 2023, allowing 10 new student awards to be created and contributions to be made to 40 existing awards

Varsity Engagement
971 alumni attended 11 engagement events held at varsity away games

Ten Thousand Coffees Mentoring Program
Over 2,000 alumni acted as mentors to current Lakehead students and recent graduates through Ten Thousand Coffees—a powerful networking and mentorship program.