state university system consisting of the main campus in Houston, Texas, U.S., the downtown campus in Houston, and branches at Clear Lake and Victoria. Additional locations at Cinco Ranch and Sugar Land provide upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus consists of 12 colleges, including the Cullen College of Engineering, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, a graduate school of social work, a law centre, and colleges of technology, optometry, and pharmacy. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs. The main campus is home to the Texas Center for Super Conductivity, the Institute for Space Systems Operation, and the Health Law and Policy Institute. The university has been noted for its research in physical sciences; in addition, it is among the few American institutions with a doctoral program in creative writing. Total enrollment for the university system is approximately 47,000.

The University of Houston was founded in 1927. It began as a junior college and was elevated to university status in 1934. The downtown campus was established in 1974 when the university absorbed South Texas Junior College. Clear Lake and Victoria were established as upper-level undergraduate and graduate institutions in 1971; they subsequently were designated permanent degree-granting branches of the university system. Notable alumni include athletes Elvin Hayes (Hayes, Elvin) and Carl Lewis (Lewis, Carl).