Kuvempu University an affiliating University established in 1987. It is a State University recognized by UGC under 2(f) and 12(b). The University has been named after great Kannada writer Shri KUVEMPU and has achieved a distinctive academic profile and a cultural identity of its own. Interestingly, the features of its identity seem to have emerged out of the multifaceted personality of Kuvempu, the great doyen of Kannada literature, a Jnanapitha awardee and one among the most significant cultural figures of modern India.

Kuvempu University is a confluence of the local and the global; of the regional and the pan-Indian; of the sustenance provided by tradition and the dynamism provided by modernity; of a deep sense of commitment to the socially and culturally disadvantaged and an equally deep commitment to excellence. The emblem of the university has a mythical animal with the trunk of an elephant and the body of a swan. This mythical animal, called Gajahamsa is commonly found in the Vijayanagara and the Keladi sculpture and temple art. It symbolizes the integration of knowledge and wealth. The jurisdiction of the university spreads over the districts of Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru. It is a university with a distinctive academic profile, blending in itself commitment to rural ethos in modern spirit. The university offers under-graduate, post- graduate and Ph.D programmes in a wide range of disciplines. It has 35 Post-graduate Departments in the Faculties of Arts, Commerce, Education, and Science and Technology. The University has its headquarters at Jnana Sahyadri campus. It sprawls over an area of 230 acres of a lush green, picturesque locale providing the right ambience for higher education. The main buildings of the university have been constructed on small hillocks, thus blending naturally with the landscape. The entire campus area is free from any form of pollution. The undisturbed and pleasant atmosphere on the campus makes it ideally suited for the pursuit of higher education and research.