The university's colors are purple and gold; its mascot is the "Black Jaguar" and its motto is "Education Empowers a Nation".

[4] The evolution of the Belizean university can be traced over a 22 -year period beginning in 1977 with the establishment of the Committee for Sixth Form Studies in response to emerging concerns regarding the relevance of existing tertiary education, and ending in the year 2000 with a second attempt to coordinate and rationalize Belizean higher or tertiary education.

[5] Belizean nationalists long wished to decolonize the educational system and rely less on foreign academic institutions.

In 1979 the ruling People's United Party (PUP) established the Belize College of Arts, Science, and Technology (BELCAST) as a state institution free of church involvement.

Except for the last one, all institutions forming UB were located in Belize City; UCB had established a college affiliate in Belmopan.

It is the location of the Information Technology Department, the science labs, and the Regional Language Center, where students from Latin American countries learn English.

The Management and Social Sciences Campus is the location of the business programs and the Belize City administrative offices for UB.

The Science and Technology Campus shares space with Belize District Institute of Vocational and Technical Education and Training (ITVET).

Recognizing this, the work of the ERI is focused on producing results that are relevant to the sustainable management of Belize's natural resources.

[16] The university is affiliated with the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) and participates in that organization's sporting tournaments.

The university organizes intramural activities in volleyball, football, softball, basketball, canoeing, karate, tennis, and aerobics.