UAlberta has five campuses, three in Edmonton and one each in Calgary and Camrose. Most major destinations in Edmonton are served by bus.

First year international undergraduates are guaranteed university accommodation if they apply by April 30th (an online application process wholly separate to admissions). Accommodation is in the form of furnished rooms, studio apartments or shared rooms or apartments. Many students also choose to live off-campus in nearby Edmonton. International Student Services help with finding on or off-campus housing.

Athletics at the university is managed by the university's student affairs, under the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation. The university's male varsity teams are known as the University of Alberta Golden Bears, while the female varsity team is known as the University of Alberta Pandas. The university's varsity teams compete in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The university's varsity sports programs include basketball, cross-country, curling, football, golf, hockey, rugby, soccer, swimming, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. In total, the university athletic's department manages more than 500 students in over 23 teams. The Golden Bears and Pandas have won 65 national championships since 1961, including three national titles in 2014 alone. The men's ice hockey team has won the Canada West Conference Championships championship 24 times, and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship 14 times, making it the Golden Bears' most successful team at the regional and national level. The Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation also operate a number of intramural programs, available to any undergraduate and graduate student that pays the Athletic and Recreation fee. Opportunities are offered at multiple skill levels and across a variety of sports to service a range of interest and ability. Sports offered include traditional sports like volleyball, basketball, soccer and cricket, as well as less traditional events like dodgeball, inner tube water polo, and wallyball. The university has a number of athletic facilities open to both their varsity teams as well as to their students. Foote Field is a multi-sport facility named after its benefactor, Eldon Foote. The sports facility is home to the varsity Golden Bears and Pandas track and field, football, soccer and rugby. Depending on the sporting event, the field's seating capacity ranges from 1,500-3,500. Foote Field also hosts the Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre, and had previously hosted events in international athletics competitions, such as the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. Other facilities include the Van Vliet Centre, named after Maury Van Vliet, the first director of the Faculty of Physical Education. The facility holds a number the Clare Drake Arena several gymnasium, an aquatic centre, fitness centres, and courts for racquetball and squash. The Saville Community Sports Centre is another multi-sport complex located on the university's campus. The centre is also home of the Golden Bears and Pandas basketball, curling, tennis and volleyball teams, and houses the Canadian Curling Association National Training Centre, Tennis Canada High Performance Tennis Development Centre, and Team Ortona Gymnastics. The university also operates the Universiade Pavilion, a multi-sport facility constructed for the 1983 Summer Universiade.