The University of British Columbia is a public institution located in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The university was founded in 1908 and opened in 1915. It has two main campuses – the Vancouver campus and the Okanagan campus located in Kelowna. The Vancouver campus is the larger of the two, accommodating more than 85 percent of UBC students. In a recent year, 23 percent of students at the Vancouver campus were international, and about 13 percent at the Okanagan campus. Tuition costs at UBC vary by degree program and are higher for international students. First-year UBC undergraduates are guaranteed university housing, and newly admitted international students who are second-year undergraduates also receive housing priority. Housing is also available for returning undergraduate and graduate students.

The Vancouver campus offers two dozen academic units, while the Okanagan campus has eight. Academic calendars for both campuses include two-term winter and summer sessions, although the summer session is optional. The primary language of instruction at UBC is English. First-year international students can join the Vantage One program at UBC's Vantage College, which aims to help students improve their English. Upon completion, students transition to the second year of their UBC degree. Examples of UBC research facilities include Canada's National TRIUMF Laboratory for Subatomic Physics, the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at the UBC Farm, and the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention.