University of Kerala was set up in the year 1937.Previoiusly this University was known, as University of Travancore.This institution was the brainchild of the Maharaja of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.He also served as the first Chancellor of the University. The first vice chancellor of the University was C.P.Ramaswami Aiyar It is located at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala state. In 1957 University of Travancore was renamed as the University of Kerala under Kerala University Act,1957.

At present there are sixteen faculties and forty-one departments of teaching and research in the University. The University has eighty-one affiliated colleges. Among those colleges forty five colleges are aided first grade Arts and Science Colleges, eight are unaided first grade Arts and Science Colleges, two are law Colleges, four Engineering Colleges, two Medical Colleges, seven aided Teachers Training Colleges, six unaided Teachers Training Colleges, one Ayurveda College, on Homeopathy College, two Fine Arts Colleges, one Music College and one College of Physical Education. Apart from that the University has an affiliated institute that offers 2-year full time MBA course.An Engineering College has recently been opened by the Kerala University in its Kariavattom campus.

The University has two main campus-University Campus, Kariavattom and Senate House Campus, which covers 41 departments. The main university departments are-Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries,Department of Arabic,Department of Archaeology,Department of Biotechnology,Department of Biochemistry,Department of Botany,Department of Computer Science,Department of Demography,Department of Economics,Department of Education,Institute of English,Department of Environmental Sciences,Department of Futures Studies,Department of Geology,Department of German,Department of Hindi,Department of History,Institute of Distance Education,Institute of Management in Kerala ,Department of Islamic Studies,Department of Law,Department of Library and Information Science,Department of Linguistics,Department of Malayalam,Department of Mathematics,Department of Music,Department of Optoelectronics,The Oriental Research Institute & Manuscripts Library,Department of Philosophy,Department of Physics,Department of Political Science,Department of Psychology,Department of Russian,Department of Sanskrit,Department of Sociology,Department of Statistics,Department of Tamil,Department of Zoology,The Centre for Bioinformatics.

This university is one of the premier universities in the field of research in South India.Apart from the research work of the University departments there are 57 recognised research centers under the guidence of this University.Some major research centers are- Central Institute of Fishery Technology, Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Centre for Development Studies, Electronics Research & Development Center, Centre for Advanced Legal Studies and Research, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Cancer Institute, Regional Research Laboratory, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, College of Engineering, Trivandrum, VSSC Thiruvananthapuram, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio-Technology, Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Hindi Research Centre, Kerala Hindi Prachar Sabha, Centre for Development of Imaging Technology, Sukritindra Oriental Research Institute etc.

The Library of the University was established in the year 1942.The library has a huge collection of books and journals. It contains 3 lakh books and over 1000 volumes of Journals. The library subscribes to 43 foreign Journals, over 400 Indian periodicals, 35 popular magazines and 20 Newspapers.