The University of West Florida, also known as West Florida and UWF, is a mid-sized public university located in Pensacola, Florida, United States. UWF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. The University of West Florida is a comprehensive research university without faculties of law or medicine. It is a space-grant institution that was established in 1963. The University of West Florida sits on the third largest campus in the State University System, 1,600 acres (6.5 km²), and its campus is a natural preserve that is bordered by two rivers and Escambia Bay.