The Berhampur University came into existence on 2nd January 1967 being inaugurated by Dr. A.N. Khosla, the then Governor of Orissa and the first Chancellor of the University. The University was later shifted to the present site known as Bhanja Bihar, named after the celebrated poet of Orissa Kabisamrat Upendra Bhanja. Spreading over an area of about two hundred fifty acres the university is twelve kilometres and 5 kilometers away from the Berhampur City and Sea-beach of Gopalpur respectively.

            The university has a wide area under its jurisdiction comprising the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nowrangapur, Malkangiri, Kandhamala and Boudh. Eleven Govt. colleges, sixty two non Govt. colleges and twenty six professional technical colleges are affiliated to the university. To the credit of the university these institutes cater to the need of students in various subjects and disciplines such as Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Education, Medicine, Engineering, Pharmacology, Homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Nursing, Military Science, Library Science and Fine Arts.

            There are twenty post-graduate departments in the university offering specialized subjects and M. Phil programmes. Some of the faculties like  Mass Communication, Tourism and Indian Monuments, Electronic Science, Computer Science, Marine Science, Military Science make the University stand apart from some other universities of the country.