Gujarat University is one of the largest universities in India providing higher education to lakhs of student. The territorial jurisdiction of the University extends to the districts of Ahmedabad, Kaira. Gujarat University came into being after India achieved her independence. It was in 1949, that the Gujarat University Act of State Government declared it ` as a teaching and affiliating University`. It is an affiliating University at the undergraduate level and a teaching one at the postgraduate level. In course of time, seven Universities were created out of it. It includes the Sardar Patel University, Saurashtra University, Bhavnagar University, South Gujarat University, Gujarat Ayurveda University, Gujarat Agricultural University and North Gujarat University.

The University has two hundred and thirty five colleges; fifteen recognized institutions and twenty-four approved institutions under its wing. The University has thirty-four postgraduate departments and two hundred and twenty one postgraduate centres. The University offers its students, doctorate courses, postgraduate courses, undergraduate courses, diploma courses, certificate courses, preparatory courses and study abroad programmes. The affiliated colleges are well known for medical, engineering and technology, pharmacy and management colleges.

Departments of Gujarat University
The various schools and departments in the main campus are:

Sheth Damodardas School of Commerce, which looks after the Department of Commerce. The University School of Languages which consists of the Department of Sanskrit, Department of Gujarati, Department of Hindi, Department of English, Department of Pali, Prakrit & Apabhransha, Department of Persian & Urdu, Department of Linguistics. The Sheth A. G. Charity Trust School of Law heads the Department of Law. The University School of Education, Philosophy & Psychology heads the Department of Education, Philosophy, and Psychology. The University School of Science heads the Department of Chemistry, Department of Botany, Department of Computer Science at Rollwala Computer Centre, Department of Environment Science, Department of Life Science, Department of Geography, Department of Mathematics, Department of Microbiology & Biotechnology, Department of Physics, Electronics & Space Science, Department of Statistics, Department of Zoology & Biomedical Technology. The University School of Social Science consists of the Department of Economics, Department of History, Department of Labour Welfare, Department of Political Science, and Department of Sociology. The BK School of Business Management consists of the Department of Management. The K S School of Business Management heads the Department of Management and the Department of Computer Applications and Information Technology. The other departments are Department of Development Communication, Department of Communication, Journalism & Public Relations, Department of Library & Information Science and the Department of Physical Education. There is also the A D Shodhan I A S Training Centre and the H K Centre for Professional Training.

A unique feature of the University is that there is a system of external examination in the Faculties of Arts and Commerce to enable working students completes their education. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) have conferred on the university, a B++ ranking.