The University of Tampere, with nearly 14,000 students, is the largest higher education institution in Finland outside the greater Helsinki metropolitan area. It is the older and larger of the two universities in Finland's second-largest city, the other being the Tampere University of Technology, whose campus is located in suburban Hervanta. Tampere University is a full research university, with academic programs leading to the Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D degrees, as well as a variety of specialized certificates and competencies.

Teaching and research work in Tampere University is conducted through its five Faculties, in Economics and Administration, Education, the Humanities, Medicine, and Social Sciences, each of which has a number of departments. The University has had a strong emphasis in the Social Sciences since its founding, reflecting in part its location in the major industrial center of South-Central Finland and close working relationship with the dynamics of an urban culture transforming itself from the traditional livelihoods of the past into an ultra-modern high-tech lifestyle. In addition to its main location at five separate centers in the City of Tampere, the University also has filial institutes in the nearby towns of Hämeenlinna and Seinäjoki.

Fields in which Tampere University has a unique position nationally include Adult and Continuing Education, which works in coordination with the University's Institute for Extension Studies; Journalism and Mass Communications; Library and Information Science; Medicine, Psychology, and Occupational Health; Economics and Business Administration; Research in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution; and Acting and Theater Training. Tampere University was a pioneer in the early 1980s in the development of International Education services and programs in Finland, and in 1984 was the first Finnish university to create an interdisciplinary program in American Studies.

Links into web pages serving the different Faculties, Departments, Research Centers, and other programs, activities and individuals of the University of Tampere are available via the main Tampere University website. The City of Tampere and Virtual Finland websites provide a wealth of information on the Tampere metropolitan region.