The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major research university located on a 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) campus in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. The university traces its origins to 1853, and has continuously operated on its present Gainesville campus since the fall of 1906. Florida is one of 62 elected members of the Association of American Universities (AAU). The university has been recognized as a "Public Ivy," and is currently ranked 49th overall among national universities in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

The University of Florida is one of three "research flagship universities" within the State University System of Florida designated by the Florida Legislature. It is the largest Florida university by student population, and the most academically prestigious university in the State of Florida. The university is also one of the three largest single-campus universities in the United States by student population, with 51,413 students enrolled for the fall 2008 semester. It is the largest comprehensive university in the State of Florida, as measured by the number of academic programs offered, and is home to 17 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. Florida has one of the largest university budgets in the United States at nearly $4.377 billion per year. As of the 2007-2008 academic year, Florida ranked twelfth among all institutions in the number of new National Merit Scholar students enrolled. Researchers at the university developed the well-known sports drink Gatorade.

The University of Florida offers many graduate programs —- including engineering, business administration, law and medicine —- on one contiguous campus, and coordinates 123 master's degree programs and 76 doctoral degree programs in 87 schools and departments.

The University of Florida's NCAA Division I athletic teams, known as the "Florida Gators," compete in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Alligators named Albert and Alberta are the official costumed mascots. In its 103-year history of intercollegiate sports competition, the university has won 26 national team championships, 17 of which are NCAA titles, and 185 individual national championships.

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