Yukon University is a public, post-secondary institution in Whitehorse with 13 campuses across the Yukon.
Yukon University is a public, post-secondary institution based at 500 University Drive in Whitehorse, Yukon. Its Board of Governors acts on behalf of the public. The university describes itself as flexible and grounded in research and education relevant to the North. With 13 campuses, it delivers education throughout the Yukon.
The university traces its history to the 1963 founding of the Whitehorse Vocational and Technical Training Centre, located on the banks of the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse. College status was granted in spring 1983, when the institution became Yukon College. The main Whitehorse campus was officially opened with a potlatch in October 1988. In 1989 the College Act was amended to establish an independent Board of Governors. In spring 2020 Yukon College was granted university status and its campuses were renamed Yukon University.
The university provides inclusive, quality education experiences that equip learners to seize opportunities, make change and positively impact local and global communities. Its vision is to become a thriving learning and research community leading Canada's North. The BECOMING Strategic Plan 2022-2027 is the university's first strategic plan as a university, crafted from input from over 600 Yukoners.
Since 1995, the college has offered a Bachelor of Social Work program in partnership with the University of Regina. The Northern Research Centre was established at the Ayamdigut Campus in the 1990s to support research guided by the principle "By the North—For the North—In the North".
The Whitehorse main campus is named Ayamdigut, a Tlingit name meaning "she got up and went." Facilities and services include parking and transportation, campus housing, a gymnasium, a campus store, a bistro, a café, safety and security services, room and venue bookings, a daycare, and library services including study areas, equipment, and print and scan. Admission routes include Canadian and permanent resident applicants, international applicants, Open Studies, and high school dual credit.