The University of Palermo (Università degli Studi di Palermo) is a public research university located in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, in southern Italy. Formally established in 1806, it ranks among the oldest and largest institutions of higher education on the island. The university offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programmes delivered through a broad network of departments and dedicated research centres.

The institution's academic roots reach back to the late fifteenth century, when courses in medicine and law were first taught in the city around 1498. From the sixteenth century onward, Jesuit scholars introduced degrees in theology and philosophy, gradually building the foundations of organised higher learning in Palermo. Following Italian unification in 1860, the university underwent significant modernisation, a process shaped by influential figures such as the chemist Stanislao Cannizzaro and the historian and Arabist Michele Amari. Since 1984, its principal administrative seat has been housed in the Palazzo Steri, regarded as one of Palermo's most important historic buildings.

Today the university is organised into sixteen departments covering a wide range of disciplines, including the sciences, humanities, engineering, medicine, and law. In the 2024/2025 academic year it enrolled roughly 44,629 students, supported by about 2,845 teaching and research staff. Among its notable assets is the Orto Botanico di Palermo, a historic botanical garden that forms an integral part of the institution. The university maintains an active research profile across numerous disciplines and continues to serve as a central hub for education, scholarship, and cultural life in western Sicily.