Karnataka is considered to be one of the most developed and educationally advanced states in India. The state of Karnataka has a large number of educational institutions among which, the medical colleges are probably the most. The medical colleges in Karnataka are working with the view of spreading medical education in the state and they are also aimed at producing quality professional in different fields of medical science. The starting of medical education in Karnataka can be traced back to the earlier decades of the twentieth century. Different educational societies founded by the social organisations or sometimes by eminent personalities, played the most important roles in the formation of the medical colleges in Karnataka.

The medical colleges in Karnataka can be classified in different categories, according to the field of medical science in which they are operating, or according to their mode of teaching. There are various kinds of medical colleges in Karnataka like Allopathic, Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani etc. The medical colleges can also be classified as general medical college, Pharmacy colleges, Dental colleges, Nursing colleges, Physiotherapy colleges etc. The colleges are providing different kinds of courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The colleges offer degree courses, diploma courses, certificate courses, super speciality courses with a view to enlighten the students in medical education. Some of the major courses offered by the medical colleges in Karnataka include MBBS, BDS, MDS, BHMS, B.Pharm, M.Pharm, D.Pharm etc.

Most of the medical colleges in Karnataka are situated in the major cities and districts like Bangaluru, Mangalore, Bijapur, Davangere, Coorg, Kolar, Mysore, Bellary, Bidar, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Dharwad, Manipal, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Tumkur etc. Most of the medical colleges are offering medical education to the students of all parts of India. However, there are some colleges that concentrate only on the students of Karnataka, or even on the students from a particular community. The medical colleges in Karnataka generally follow different rules and regulations while admitting students in various courses. The students are required to have passed at least the 10+2 examination to get admitted in any course in the medical colleges. Another mandatory criterion is that, the students are required to be aged at least 17 years in the year of admission. Most of the medical colleges in Karnataka are affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bangaluru; Bangalore University, Bangaluru etc. They are also recognised by the all India medical governing bodies like Medical Council of India (MCI), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH), All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) etc.

A large number of medical colleges in Karnataka have earned recognition in all over India and some of them are popular internationally, as well. Some of the most notable and prominent medical institutions in Karnataka include the Academy of Medical Education Dental College and Hospital, Bangaluru; the A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science, Mangalore; Al-Ameen Medical College, Bijapur; Al-Ameen College of Pharmacy, Bangaluru; BMK Medical College, Bijapur; Dr B R Ambedkar Medical College, Bangaluru; Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum; Indian Institute of Ayurvedic medicine & Research, Bangaluru; K S Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore; Karnataka College of Physiotherapy, Mangalore; Kasturba Medical College, Manipal; Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangaluru; M S Ramaiah Medical College, Bangaluru; Visveswarapura Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bangaluru; St. John`s College of Nursing, Bangaluru; MS Ramaiah Institute of Nursing Education and Research, Bangaluru etc. These medical colleges are working relentlessly to improve the scenario of medical education not only in Karnataka, but also in India.