Founded in 1970, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is a public, degree-granting institution with a current enrolment of approximately 11,000 students, including more than 1200 international students representing over 70 countries. Over 100 different programs are available at TRU, including four-year degrees in over 40 disciplines, and a growing number of post-graduate specialties.

Additionally, TRU offers 19 major career diploma programs that provide an option to ladder into a bachelor's degree. TRU also offers a wide range of one-year certificate programs, and English as a Second Language programs.

The 92-hectare (230 acre) university campus is located in the heart of Kamloops, close to all amenities and easily accessed by regular bus service. TRU students are supported by many services and outstanding facilities on campus, including support services career counselling, Co-op Education Student Employment Centre, and a Health Clinic. The Campus Activity Centre provides students with wireless internet access lounges, food services, a bookstore and pub.

Athletic facilities include the gymnasium and weight room, Aquatic Centre with Olympic-size swimming pool, and Hillside Stadium field and track facilities. Varsity athletic programs offer scholarships for men and women in soccer, basketball, badminton and volleyball. Accommodation is available in campus dormitories, student apartments and residences near campus, or homestay placements with local families for international students. Kamloops is a multicultural city of 85,000 that offers all the benefits of a small, safe and friendly community with the full range of services and activities usually found in a large city. Located in a scenic river valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Kamloops is known for warm and dry weather, and is famous for year-round outdoor activities.

As one of the most comprehensive universities in Canada, TRU offers a wide range of programs from MBA to career diploma programs and various distance education options.