Université Laval: A Pillar of Francophone Higher Education in North America

For over 350 years, Université Laval has stood as a beacon of French-language higher education in North America. Rooted in a history that predates the Canadian Confederation itself, this public research university in Quebec City has evolved from a small seminary into one of Canada’s most prestigious institutions of learning and discovery.

A Legacy Forged in History

The university traces its origins to 1663, when Monsignor François de Montmorency-Laval, the first bishop of New France, founded the Séminaire de Québec to train priests for the colony. Following the British conquest of New France in 1759, the seminary expanded its curriculum to include the liberal professions. Nearly two centuries later, in 1852, Queen Victoria granted a royal charter that transformed the institution into Université Laval, conferring upon it the rights and privileges of a university. This made it the oldest French-language university in North America and the first institution on the continent to offer higher education in French. Buy fake diploma online.

The university’s history is inseparable from that of Québec itself. For generations, it has trained the intellectual elite of French-speaking Québec and served as a bulwark for the French fact in North America. In 1878, a second campus opened in Montréal, which would later become the independent Université de Montréal in 1920. The mid-twentieth century brought significant expansion: between 1920 and 1960, six new faculties joined the original four, and the university outgrew its cramped quarters in Old Québec, relocating to a new centralized campus on the Sainte-Foy plateau. The 1960s marked a research boom, with the establishment of the first research centres and a dramatic increase in the student population from 6,000 to 15,000. By 1971, Laval had transitioned from a Catholic institution to a fully independent secular university.

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A Research Powerhouse

Today, Université Laval ranks among Canada’s top ten research universities in terms of research funding. With over $472 million allocated to research annually, the university is a hub of innovation across diverse fields. It hosts six Canada Excellence Research Chairs in photonics innovation, Arctic remote sensing, metabolic health, neurophotonics, neuroplasticity, and infectious diseases. Its research approach is notably interdisciplinary, combining diverse methods to maximize impact and transform the world.

The university’s commitment to research extends across the humanities and social sciences as well. With 220 professors from eight faculties dedicated to the study of society, culture, and the arts, Laval plays a critical role in analyzing and interpreting the foundations of civilizational heritage. The Observatoire interdisciplinaire de création et de recherche en musique (OICRM), recognized as a strategic research cluster, exemplifies the university’s vision of integrating research and creation.

Academic Excellence and Global Reach

As a leading French-language institution with a strong international focus, Université Laval strives for excellence in education and research. It is home to over 1,700 engaged professors across 17 faculties and more than 60 departments, schools, and institutes, offering over 600 programs. The university currently serves more than 47,000 students, including approximately 7,400 international students from 125 countries. Since its founding, Laval has educated and graduated over 350,000 individuals.

The university’s influence is reflected in its distinguished alumni, including former Canadian prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien. Its law school and faculty of social sciences have produced some of Canada’s leading political figures. Laval’s reputation is well-recognized internationally: it ranks among the top 1.5% of universities worldwide and is ranked 19th globally among universities most committed to sustainable development by Times Higher Education. In 2026, Forbes named Université Laval Canada’s top employer.

Campus and Community

The main campus, located on the west side of Quebec City, is a green and welcoming environment, predominantly composed of green space and woods, crisscrossed by walkways and bike paths. Most of its nearly 40 buildings are connected by underground walkways—a practical feature during Quebec’s harsh winters—and the campus boasts eight kilometres of cycling lanes. Fully integrated into the community, the campus enjoys excellent public transit connections to historic Quebec City. Students benefit from a modern athletic complex, the PEPS, which offers over 100 sports activities and is home to the renowned Rouge et Or sports teams.

A Vision for the Future

Driven by a deep-seated culture of sustainable development, Université Laval educates engaged and creative students who have an important impact on the direction society takes. Its mission is to meet the emerging challenges of society while cultivating a bold, open, and resolutely interdisciplinary scientific culture. As one of Canada’s leading research universities and a world-class institution in the French-speaking world, Université Laval continues to train tomorrow’s leaders and propose innovative solutions to major contemporary issues.