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University president is the title of the highest ranking officer within a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as chancellor or rector.

The relative seniority varies between institutions. In the Republic of Ireland the president of a university (called the provost in the case of Trinity College Dublin) is essentially the chief executive officer of the university (with the chancellor being a purely ceremonial role). They are usually assisted in this regard by the university registrar. In Northern Ireland, the president is the chief academic and administrative officer of the university and is usually also the vice-chancellor of the university. In Wales, the title of president rather than chancellor is given to the ceremonial head of constituent institutions of the University of Wales (which has a single chancellor for the whole federal body) and also of Cardiff University, which retained the usage when it left the University of Wales.

In some state university systems, the chancellor has authority over all universities in the system, and therefore ranks higher than the presidents of individual universities within the system. In other state university systems, the president has authority over multiple campuses, each of which is headed by a chancellor who is under the authority of the president.

There have been a number of instances in American history where a university president has used that position as a springboard to political office. For example, Woodrow Wilson was the President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, before being elected Governor of New Jersey and then President of the United States. Dwight D. Eisenhower was also President of Columbia University from 1948 until 1953 before becoming President of the United States.

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