Utkal University is a teaching cum affiliating University in Orissa. It is the oldest University in Orissa and the seventeenth oldest university in India. At present there are twenty-six postgraduate departments, which are set up in the University campus. The various disciplines taught here are Science, Humanities, Business Administration, Social Science, Law and Commerce. As a matter of fact, the University is the largest affiliating University in the country. There are two hundred and sixty seven affiliated general colleges, fifteen law colleges, six medical and Pharmacy colleges. The territorial jurisdiction of the district is spread over nine districts namely Angul, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Khurdha, Nayagarh and Puri.

The University campus is located at a distance of 5 kms from the Bhubaneshwar railway station. Only the Madhusudan Law College is situated at Burdwan House at Cuttack spread over two acres of land. The territorial jurisdiction of the University extends to the districts of Cuttack, Puri,Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and the district of Dhenkanal.

There was a strong desire among the leaders of Orissa to establish a university in Orissa. Accordingly, in 1942, a committee was formed to frame and draft the University Bill. When it was passed in the Orissa legislative Assembly, it received the assent of the Governor of Orissa in 1943. Under the Utkal University Act of 1943, Utkal University came into being. In 1966, that was act was annulled and a new Utkal University Act came into being from 1st January 1967.