Founded in 1890, the University of Tasmania is Australia's fourth-oldest university and operates several campuses in the city and Sandy Bay. It encompasses the oldest tertiary instituation in the country, Christ College, a now residential facility that was modelled on the Oxford and Cambridge colleges in England.

UTAS is notable for its Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, an important research facility for the Southern Ocean and Antarctic environments. Often moored alongside the institute are Antarctica-bound icebreakers designed for scientific voyages. In recent years, there has been controversy around their lack of use for dedicated marine science voyages in favour of transporting cargo, fuel and personnel to Antarctic stations. 

Other UTAS campuses in the city include the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and the School of Creative Arts & Media, together with the Medical Sciences Precinct. Most of the remaining Hobart faculties are based at the Sandy Bay campus, although the university plans to move these into the CBD within the coming years.