Sambalpur University is a prominent University in the state of Orissa. As the name suggests it is located in Sambalpur, in western Orissa. For establishing the University the Sambalpur University Act was passed by the Orissa Legislature on 10th December 1966. The University started operating from 1st January 1967. The first Vice Chancellor of the University was Prof. Parsuram Mishra. The Hon`ble Chancellor A.N. Khosla inaugurated the University on 4th January 1967. Initially, the University was located in a private building at Dhanupali, Sambalpur and in a Government building at Ainthapali. It stayed here from 1968- 1972. It was in the year 1973, the University shifted permanently to its present campus named Jyoti Vihar at Burla.

The jurisdiction of the district is spread over ten districts of the state, which are Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Bargarh, Bolangir, Subarnapur, Nawapara, Kalahandi, Boudh, and Athamallik Sub- Division of Angul District. The University provides postgraduate courses in twenty-seven subjects through twenty postgraduate departments. The University has received autonomy for the postgraduate departments of Chemistry, Life Sciences, History, Economics, Library and Information Sciences and Mathematics.