 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2009) |
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| Host city | Lake Placid, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Nations | 23 |
| Athletes | 41 |
| Events | 7 sports |
| Opening | February 26, 1972 |
| Closing | March 5, 1972 |
| Opened by | Richard Nixon |
The 1972 Winter Universiade, the VII Winter Universiade, took place in Lake Placid, New York, United States.
* Host nation (United States)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Soviet Union (URS) | 12 | 9 | 8 | 29 |
| 2 |  France (FRA) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
 Netherlands (NED) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| 4 |  Poland (POL) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |  Japan (JPN) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 |  United States (USA)* | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 7 |  South Korea (KOR) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 |  Canada (CAN) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 Italy (ITA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 10 |  Norway (NOR) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
 West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 12 |  Austria (AUT) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 13 |  Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 |  Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (15 entries) | 25 | 25 | 24 | 74 | |