The University of Utah, founded in 1850, is a flagship public research university located at the foot of the Wasatch Range in Salt Lake City, Utah. As one of the oldest and most renowned public universities in the western United States, it is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a "Very High Research Activity" university and is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Pacific-12 Conference.

The university was established by Brigham Young, the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, initially named "Deseret University." It is the oldest higher education institution in Utah. The university has produced 5 Nobel Laureates, 8 MacArthur Fellows, 3 Turing Award winners, 17 National Academy of Sciences and Engineering members, 22 Rhodes Scholars, and 2 astronauts.

The University of Utah is considered the birthplace of computer graphics, earning the moniker "The Holy Land of Computer Graphics." It is also one of the birthplaces of the internet, with the most extensive wireless network among U.S. campuses. Its medical school pioneered the artificial heart, and its music school is an All-Steinway School. The ballet department was the first in the U.S. The university excels not only in classroom education and business but also in innovation, ranking first in the U.S. for invention-based startups and second in the U.S. for new campus tech companies, behind only MIT.

The university is ranked 40th among public universities in the U.S. by U.S. News, 63rd globally by WRWU, 101-150 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), and 151st globally by U.S. News.