The University of Manitoba is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of Manitoba is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. Its main campus is located in the Fort Garry neighbourhood of Winnipeg, with other campuses throughout the city: the Bannatyne Campus, the James W. Burns Executive Education Centre, the William Norrie Centre, and the French-language affiliate, Université de Saint-Boniface in the Saint Boniface ward.

A public university or public college is a university or college that is owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from one country to another, largely depending on the specific education landscape. In contrast a private university is usually owned and operated by a private corporation. Both types are often regulated, but to varying degrees, by the government.