List of university museums in the United States

[1] While historically the origins of these kinds of institutions can be traced back to learning collections in art academies in Western Europe, they are now most often housed in centers of higher education.

[citation needed] Many university and college libraries also feature galleries to showcase items from their collections, which can include art, music, poetry, literary works and ephemera.

Some exist as affiliates of a university, operated by a separate board of trustees and administration, while others are nested within the institution.

[4] When these two freedoms are observed, in the context of a university art museum and/or gallery, a unique setting for academic discovery is opened up.

University art museums and exhibits are sometimes sources of controversies regarding issues of propriety, politics, gender, and sexuality.