Higher education was so important to Utah's early pioneers that they had a university before they had a state. The University of Utah was originally founded as the University of Deseret on February 28th, 1850 by Mormon Pioneers and has since remained the foremost research institution in the state of Utah and Utah's first Research I university. The University of Utah also consistently ranks in the top 25 universities in the United States for federally funded research in public universities. Many of its faculty have also been recognized with prestigious awards in their fields. It is also only the seventh public university in the United State to have one of its faculty awarded a Nobel Prize.

As a major teaching and research university, the flagship institution of the Utah state system of higher education, the University of Utah strives to create an academic environment in which the highest standards of scholarship and professional practice are observed and where responsibilities to students are conscientiously met. It offers students 77 undergraduate majors, and over 70 minors and certificates, as well as over 95 graduate majors. In both national and peer rankings, the University of Utah has been recognized for programs ranging from engineering to genetics, and law to modern dance.

The University of Utah is also a major international resource. With 1,797 international students from more than 100 countries, the U is richly diverse in global culture. Nearly 1 in 3 students also speak a foreign language. It also has student exchanges and academic partnerships in nearly every region of the world. Finally students may broaden their international experience in 13 centers, institutes, and programs.

Finally, with over 80% of Utah's population living along the Wasatch Mountains, the University of Utah is at the hub of Utah's social and political culture. And, sitting ten minutes east of downtown Salt Lake City also means that the University of Utah is easily accessible and is the school of choice for young and old alike who are seeking to advance their professional lives.