University of Kerala is a state university headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, established in 1937 by the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, making it one of the oldest universities in India. It is governed by the Government of Kerala through a Syndicate and Senate structure and holds NAAC A++ accreditation (CGPA 3.67).
The university runs 44 postgraduate and research departments across 16 faculties, concentrated at its roughly 450-acre Kariavattom campus and the Senate House campus, teaching only at the postgraduate, M.Phil, and PhD level. Separately, it oversees 270 affiliated colleges across the state (arts and science, engineering, medical, law, and other categories) that offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Established | 1937 |
| Type | State university (Government of Kerala) |
| NAAC | A++ (CGPA 3.67) |
| NIRF 2025 University | Rank 25 (score 59.05) |
| NIRF 2025 Overall | Rank 42 |
| University departments | 44 PG/research departments, 16 faculties |
| Affiliated institutions | 270 (Arts and Science 92, Engineering/Architecture 44, Teacher Education 50, Medical/Dental 12, MCA/MBA 24, Nursing/Pharmacy 26, Law 6, and others) |
| Main campus | Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, approx. 450 acres |
| Admission process | Centralized Allotment Process (CAP), merit-index based |
| Website | keralauniversity.ac.in |
University departments (Kariavattom and Senate House campuses) offer PG, M.Phil, and PhD programmes across faculties including Science, Arts, Social Sciences, Oriental Studies, Applied Sciences and Technology, Law, Management Studies, Commerce, Education, and Fine Arts. These departments do not teach at the undergraduate level; UG programmes run only through the 270 affiliated colleges.
Admission to most PG programmes runs through the university's Centralized Allotment Process (CAP) portal, ranking applicants by an index derived from qualifying-exam marks rather than a separate entrance test. A distinct set of programmes, MBA, MCA, MAHRM, MPE, MSW, MFA, and MASLP, admit directly through individual colleges rather than CAP.
Engineering admission at affiliated colleges runs through the Kerala state engineering entrance exam KEAM, not CUET. University of Kerala should not be confused with the separate Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod, which does use CUET for its own admissions.
| Category | Duration | Admission route |
|---|---|---|
| University PG departments (Science, Arts, Law, Commerce, and others) | 2 years (most) | Centralized Allotment Process (CAP), merit-index based |
| MBA, MCA, MAHRM, MPE, MSW, MFA, MASLP | 2 years (varies) | Direct college admission, outside CAP |
| Affiliated-college B.Tech | 4 years | KEAM |
| PhD and M.Phil | Varies | University-specific research admission |
Fee figures for university departments are not confirmed from an extractable official source. The official PG Prospectus 2026 exists as a scanned PDF on the CAP admission portal; aggregator figures for select departments (approximately Rs 840 per semester in government fees for some M.Sc programmes) are not repeated here as confirmed, since they could not be cross-checked against a readable primary document.
University of Kerala ranked 25th in the NIRF 2025 University category (score 59.05) and 42nd in NIRF 2025 Overall. In NIRF 2024, it ranked 21st in the University category. It holds NAAC A++ accreditation with a CGPA of 3.67.
The university's 44 PG and research departments span Science, Arts, Social Sciences, Oriental Studies, Applied Sciences and Technology, Law, Management Studies, Commerce, Education, and Fine Arts. As of the most recent official figures, university departments enrol 878 PhD scholars, 334 M.Phil students, and 1,284 PG students, while its affiliated colleges and research centres enrol 97,411 UG students, 14,769 PG students, and 417 PhD scholars. Permanent faculty are 94% PhD-qualified.
Recent developments include the Raja Ravi Varma Centre of Excellence for Visual Arts at Mavelikara and a DSIR registration renewed through 2029.
The main Kariavattom campus spans approximately 450 acres in Thiruvananthapuram and houses most PG departments; the Senate House campus in the city centre houses additional departments and the university's administrative headquarters.
Established 1937, with nearly nine decades of academic history
270 affiliated institutions across arts and science, engineering, medical, law, nursing, and pharmacy categories, giving students many campus options under one university
44 university departments concentrate on PG, M.Phil, and PhD teaching, backed by 94% PhD-qualified permanent faculty
Most PG programmes admit through the university's own Centralized Allotment Process using qualifying-exam index marks, without a separate entrance test
| Framework | Category | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIRF | State Public University | 2025 | #5 |
| NIRF | University | 2025 | #25 |
| NIRF | Overall | 2025 | #42 |
No independently verifiable, individually sourced notable alumni could be confirmed for this institution at the time of writing. This section is left out rather than populated with unconfirmed names.
8 courses offered. Fees in INR lakhs.
| Course | Specialization | Duration | Total seats | Total fee | Avg package |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce) | Hons | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| BA (Bachelor of Arts) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| BA (Bachelor of Arts) | Honours (General) | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| M.Com (Master of Commerce) | — | 24 months | — | ₹1.6L | — |
| MA (Master of Arts) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| MCA (Master of Computer Applications) | — | 24 months | — | ₹1.6L | — |
Campus size, faculty strength, hostel facilities, and academic infrastructure.
