The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, 18 miles (29 km) north of downtown Dallas. The institution, established in 1961 as the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest and later renamed the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (SCAS), began as a research arm of Texas Instruments. In 1969 the founders bequeathed SCAS to the State of Texas and Governor Preston Smith signed the bill officially creating the University of Texas at Dallas.

UTD offers over 142 academic programs across its seven schools and hosts more than 50 research centers and institutes. With a number of interdisciplinary degree programs, its curriculum is designed to allow study that crosses traditional disciplinary lines and to enable students to participate in collaborative research labs. Entering freshmen average math and critical reading SAT scores from 2006 through 2011 were above 1200 and among the highest of the public universities in Texas. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UT Dallas as a "comprehensive doctoral research university" and a "high research activity institution". Research projects include the areas of space science, bioengineering, cybersecurity, nanotechnology, and behavioral and brain sciences.

UT Dallas owns approximately 710 acres (2.9 km2) of generally contiguous land in Richardson, Texas consisting of 445 acres (1.80 km2) for campus development and another 265 acres (1.07 km2) adjacent to the main campus. From 2007 the university has added or started construction on more than 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of new facilities including the first academic structure in Texas to be rated a LEED Platinum facility. In addition to the new facilities a $30-million campus landscape enhancement was completed in late 2010 and the university received a "B-" on the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, which includes efforts to protect and conserve natural resources.

The school has a Division III athletics program in the American Southwest Conference and fields 13 intercollegiate teams. Student activities include more than 160 registered organizations and students provided more than 20,000 volunteer hours at community agencies in 2010. The university has a nationally recognized debate team, recruits worldwide for its chess team and the only school in Texas to field teams in all three of the major pre-law competitions. As of the 2010 fall commencement the university had over 68,250 alumni, who have earned more than 74,900 degrees.