Western Sydney University operates across a distributed network of major campuses and specialized urban sites situated throughout Greater Western Sydney. Established in 1989, the university provides comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate programs across business, humanities, social sciences, medicine, nursing, health sciences, law, engineering, computing, and education.

The university's primary administrative base and historic core is the Hawkesbury Campus, located in Richmond at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Covering over 1,300 hectares of farmland, historic reserves, and research facilities, Hawkesbury is dedicated to agricultural science, environmental sustainability, veterinary research, and forensic science. The site features extensive working farms, specialized greenhouse complexes, food processing laboratories, and student residential halls.

Complementing Hawkesbury, the university maintains major multi-site footprints across key Western Sydney centers. The Penrith Campus, split between the Kingswood and Werrington precincts, serves as a primary center for engineering, computing, humanities, and creative arts, housing advanced acoustics laboratories, broadcasting studios, and the Kingswood sports complex. In the southwest, the Campbelltown Campus functions as a major hub for medicine, nursing, and allied health, equipped with specialized clinical simulation labs, the School of Medicine, and anatomy facilities.

In addition to its suburban parkland sites, the university operates vertical, high-rise City Campuses designed for direct integration with commercial and health precincts. The Parramatta Footprint encompasses the historic Parramatta South site—featuring sandstone architecture and science research centers—alongside the modern 14-story Parramatta City Campus at 168 Macquarie Street, tailored for business, law, and postgraduate education. Similarly, the Bankstown City Campus and Liverpool City Campus operate as high-tech vertical facilities in their respective commercial districts, offering flexible learning hubs, nursing simulation wards, and community legal centers. Across the outer west, the Nirimba Campus at Quakers Hill delivers foundation pathways, education, and vocational training within an integrated educational precinct. Across all sites, Western Sydney University blends specialized research land with urban vertical facilities connected by major public transit corridors.