Yukon University is a post-secondary institution in Whitehorse, Yukon, with 13 campuses across the territory.
Yukon University operates under the authority of the Yukon University Act and is governed by a Board of Governors and a Senate. It describes itself as a flexible, post-secondary institution grounded in research and education relevant to the North. Its vision is to become a thriving learning and research community leading Canada's North. Its mission is to provide inclusive, quality education experiences that equip learners to seize opportunities, make change and positively impact local and global communities.
Yukon University traces its history to the founding in 1963 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. In 1989 the College Act was amended to establish an independent Board of Governors for Yukon College. In spring 2020 Yukon College was granted university status and all thirteen campuses were renamed Yukon University.
The main Whitehorse campus moved in 1988 to its current location, 2 km up the hill from downtown, and was officially opened with a potlatch in October 1988. The campus is named Ayamdigut, a Tlingit name meaning "she got up and went." The university has 13 campuses across the Yukon. Facilities listed include the Yukon University Gymnasium, Campus Store, Hilltop Bistro, Kinnikinnick Kaff, campus housing, parking and transportation, the YukonU Library (Ayamdigut Library), Innovation Commons, and Nakwaye Ku Daycare.
The Northern Research Centre was established at the Yukon College Ayamdigut Campus in the 1990s and later renamed the Yukon Research Centre. Since 1995, Yukon College has offered a Bachelor of Social Work program in partnership with the University of Regina. Admission routes include Canadian and permanent resident applicants, international applicants, Open Studies, and high school dual credit.