The university was founded in the year of 1908, one of the top Canada universities with a long history of challenging the impossible as well as transforming society by way of the ingenuity and resolve of its faculty, students, alumni and supporters. It was founded by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, the university first president.

University of Alberta boasts to be one of the world top research-intensive universities, which has been bringing together top minds from every conceivable background as well as discipline to collaborate on the world’s most pressing challenges. University of Alberta is famous for pioneering research on insulin, regenerative medicine and artificial intelligence. The University School of Cities brings together researchers from across disciplines to address the challenges facing urban areas. Often students talk about what is special about this university? The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top teaching and research universities in Canada, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences. The university is popular in preparing its students for success through an excellent global education rooted in excellence, inclusion and close-knit learning communities at the same time.

University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the popular universities in the study abroad domain; the university continues to rank among the top 150 universities in the world for consecutive years. The Global Universities and Times Higher Education listed 126th ranked University among the best for 2022 - 2023. University of Alberta in Edmonton comprises academic divisions focused on a range of disciplines, like applied science and engineering, management and public health, to name a few. The U of A also placed among the top eight per cent in the world in the 2023 QS World University Rankings, and came 11th in the world and third in Canada in Times Higher Education's Impact Rankings, which evaluates the progress universities are making toward advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.