University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram

The University of Kerala, established in 1937 as the University of Travancore, is the largest and oldest university in Kerala. Renamed University of Kerala in 1957 following Indian states' reorganisation, it is a comprehensive affiliating and teaching university based at Kariavattom campus in Thiruvananthapuram, with its main Senate House campus in the city centre. The university affiliates over 190 colleges across Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts, serving 2 lakh+ students. Kerala University offers programmes in Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, Management, Law, Education, Physical Education, Oriental Studies, and Fine Arts through 50+ departments. The university is particularly strong in Oriental Studies (Sanskrit, Arabic, Malayalam), Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, and Biochemistry. NAAC A accreditation. Notable alumni include multiple Kerala Chief Ministers, judges, scientists at ISRO (Thiruvananthapuram's primary employer), and national literary figures. The Kariavattom campus is a serene 280-acre forested campus with botanical gardens, research stations, and hostel facilities. University Senate house in the city is a colonial-era architectural landmark.