Coordinates: 42°41′10″N 73°49′26″W / 42.686193°N 73.823884°W / 42.686193; -73.823884

The State University of New York at Albany, also known as University at Albany, State University of New York, SUNY Albany or simply UAlbany, is a public university located in Albany, Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New York, United States; is the senior campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1844, it is an internationally recognized public research institution, which carries out a broad mission of undergraduate and graduate education, research, and service. The University has three campuses: the Uptown Campus in Albany and Guilderland's McKownville neighborhood, the Downtown Campus in Albany, and the East Campus in East Greenbush, just east of Albany.

The University enrolls more than 17,500 students in nine schools and colleges, which offer 58 undergraduate majors and 128 graduate degree programs. The University’s academic choices are diverse and include a range of new and emerging fields such as public policy, nanotechnology, globalization, documentary studies, biotechnology and informatics. Students take advantage of more than 500 study-abroad programs, as well as extensive internship opportunities that offer real-world experience in New York’s capital and surrounding region. The Honors College, which opened in fall 2006, offers opportunities for the best-prepared students to work closely with faculty.

University at Albany faculty attracted $271.2 million in research funding in 2009-2010 for work advancing discovery in a wide range of fields. The research enterprise is distinguished by established and emerging strengths in four areas: nanoscale sciences and engineering, social science and public policy, life sciences and atmospheric sciences. A wide range of explorations in other areas also contributes to the rich spectrum of UAlbany research.

In addition to offering many cultural benefits, including a nationally recognized contemporary art museum and a world-renowned writers institute, UAlbany plays a major role in the economic development of the Capital District and New York State — particularly through its programs in nanosciences and nanotechnology and in the biotechnology and biomedical sciences. An economic impact study in 2004 estimated UAlbany’s economic impact to be $1.1 billion annually in New York State — $1 billion of that in the Capital District.