Loughborough University is a leading UK higher-education and research institution with a long history rooted in technical and vocational education. Its origins date to 1909, when Loughborough Technical Institute was established in the centre of Loughborough to provide further education in technical subjects, science and art. The institution developed into Loughborough College, later Loughborough College of Technology, and in 1966 received its Royal Charter and university status as Loughborough University of Technology. It adopted its current name, Loughborough University, in 1996.

The University is headquartered on its extensive main campus on Epinal Way in Loughborough, Leicestershire. It also operates Loughborough University London, a postgraduate campus located at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, which opened in 2015. The University combines undergraduate and postgraduate education with research, enterprise and knowledge exchange across a broad range of academic disciplines. Its institutional profile includes strong links with business and industry and a particularly prominent reputation for sport, alongside engineering, science, social sciences, business, design and humanities.

Sport is a distinctive part of Loughborough's identity. The University has a long-standing sporting tradition and extensive sporting infrastructure, and its official profile highlights its internationally recognised sporting achievement. Its sporting reputation extends into teaching, research, athlete development and partnerships with elite sport. Loughborough has repeatedly been recognised internationally for sports-related subjects and has played a significant role in supporting high-performance athletes and teams.

Academically, Loughborough provides undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research programmes, supported by a substantial research community and professional-services workforce. LinkedIn currently classifies the University in the 1,001–5,000 employee category and lists more than 6,000 associated employees on its platform. The institution's combination of teaching, research, enterprise and sport has made it one of the UK's prominent universities, while its historic development from a 1909 technical institute continues to shape its practical and industry-oriented character.