Bangalore University is a state public university located in Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, India. It is one of the largest affiliating universities in the state, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the arts, sciences, commerce, management, law, and education, while also overseeing a network of affiliated colleges in the Bengaluru region.
| Name | Bangalore University |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Main campus | Jnana Bharathi |
| Secondary campus | Central College, Bengaluru |
| Jurisdiction | Bengaluru Urban district (post-2017 reorganisation) |
The university traces its institutional origins to Central College, Bengaluru, one of the oldest centres of higher education in southern India, which dates back to the nineteenth century under the Mysore administration. Bangalore University in its present form was established in the mid-twentieth century to serve as an affiliating and teaching university for the Bengaluru region, taking over functions previously discharged by the University of Mysore for colleges in and around the city.
The principal campus, known as Jnana Bharathi, is situated on the western side of Bengaluru and houses most of the postgraduate departments, the central library, administrative offices, and residential facilities for faculty and students. The older Central College campus, in the city centre, continues to host several departments and serves as a secondary academic site.
The university is organised into faculties covering arts, science, commerce and management, education, law, and engineering, with departments offering master's and doctoral programmes. It functions as an affiliating university, meaning that a large number of degree colleges in the Bengaluru area conduct undergraduate teaching under its academic regulations and award degrees through it.
Research activity at Bangalore University spans the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and professional disciplines. The university also operates a directorate of distance education and conducts examinations for affiliated institutions.
To address the size of the affiliating jurisdiction, the Government of Karnataka reorganised Bangalore University in 2017. Two new universities were carved out of its earlier territory:
Following this restructuring, Bangalore University retained the Jnana Bharathi campus and a smaller set of affiliated colleges concentrated in the Bengaluru Urban district.
For several decades Bangalore University was among the largest universities in India by number of affiliated colleges and student enrolment, playing a central role in higher education for Karnataka. Many academics, scientists, civil servants, jurists, writers, and business leaders associated with Karnataka have studied or taught at its constituent and affiliated institutions. Its campus also hosts cultural, literary, and sporting activities at the inter-collegiate and inter-university levels.