The university is in central Calgary, with bus and rail links to the main campus.

Students in Alberta can expect to budget on average £610 (CA$941) a month. This figure includes all accommodation rental costs and other living expenses such as food, entertainment and travel. First-year students have single or double rooms in a dormitory-style residence. Students are guaranteed residence for the first two years of study. International and transfer students have the option of living more independently in fully-equipped studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and four-bedroom units. Depending on type of on-campus accommodation and meal plan, one academic year's room and board could cost between £1,330 and £7,350 ($2,080–11,305). Students who wish to rent private accommodation may do so and are facilitated by the Students' union.

The Calgary Dinos are the athletic teams that represent the University of Calgary in the Canada West, a division of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. They were known as the "Dinosaurs" but usually referred to as the "Dinos" until 1999, when the name was officially shortened. Some of its venues are the Jack Simpson Gymnasium (basketball, volleyball), McMahon Stadium (football, soccer), Olympic Oval (speed skating), Hawkings Field (field hockey), University of Calgary Aquatic Centre (swimming, often shortened to Aquatic Centre) and a 200m Running Track (cross-country and track & field practice). The Dinos compete in 12 varsity sports: basketball, cross-country, field hockey, football, golf, hockey, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. The Dinos also have 2 club teams: Men's Baseball and Men's Rugby. The men's hockey team plays at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, while the women's hockey team's schedule is split between the Olympic Oval and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena. In the rare case of scheduling conflicts, both men's and women's hockey have used the Max Bell Centre for games. The University of Calgary has been associated with the Olympics since 1976, when the 10-year-old athletic department sent three athletes to Montreal. Since then, 42 Dinos athletes have competed at both the summer and winter Games, bringing home 11 medals, and UC hosted the athletes' village and speed skating events at the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988. The football team plays home matches at McMahon Stadium, home of CFL's Calgary Stampeders. It has won the Vanier Cup on four occasions, 1983, 1985, 1988 and 1995. In recent years, the team played in the Vanier Cup in 2009, 2010 and 2013. Adopt-a-Dino is a university initiative to provide athletes with monetary assistance by allowing participating members to "adopt" an athlete. All Adopt-A-Dino donors will be recognized in the following season's ROAR Magazine, in addition to receiving: Two all-sport season passes valid for all Dinos regular season home games, a plaque-mounted photo of your chosen athlete or team, an invitation to a free event to meet an interact with your chosen team, and a tax receipt for $890.