Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until September 5, 1956, when it shifted focus to building four-year university degree programs and later graduated its first four-year degree candidates as Jacksonville University in June 1959. It is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). JU's student body currently represents more than 40 U.S. states and approximately 45 countries around the world. As a Division I institution, it fields 18 varsity athletics teams, known as the JU Dolphins, as well as intramural sports and clubs. Among the top majors declared by JU students are aviation management, biology, nursing, business, and marine science.

Arlington is a large region of Jacksonville, Florida, and is generally understood as a counterpart to the city's other large regions, the Urban Core, Northside, Southside, Westside, and the Beaches. It borders the Southside area at its southern end, and has several bridge connections to nearby beaches, the Northside and Downtown. The expansive neighborhood was incorporated into the city in 1968 as a result the Jacksonville Consolidation, a city-county consolidation of the governments of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County. Arlington is known for its mid-century modern architecture, and contains several architecturally significant homes designed by local architects Robert C. Broward, Taylor Hardwick, and William Morgan.