Punjabi University was established in the year 1962 on the 30th of April with the objective of furthering the cause of Punjabi literature, arts and language. Now, the university has evolved into the largest university in the state of Punjab. The campus of the university is situated at Patiala at an area of 600 acres of land.

The university has more than 150 colleges under its jurisdiction in addition to six neighbouring campuses, five regional centres and 65 research and teaching departments covering different areas of education like business management, computer science, fine arts, etc…Recently the university has achieved a milestone by establishing engineering college of its own thereby diversifying its areas of research and education. The district-wise list of colleges affiliated to the university is given below:

Patiala District:

• Asian Educational Institute

• Chitkara College of Education for Women

• College of Management and Technology

• General Shivdev Singh Diwan Gurbachan Singh Khalsa College

• Government Bikram College of Commerce

• Government College for Girls

• Government Mohindra College

• Govt. Kirti College

• Govt. Ripudaman College

• Gurmat College

• Jasdev Singh Sandhu College of Education

• Kay Jay College of Education

• Lal Bahadur Memorial Mahila College

• Mata Sahib Kaur Khalsa College of Education

• Multani Mal Modi College

• N.I.S., Patiala

• Nancy College of Education

• National College of Physical Education

• Patel Memorial National College

• Prof. Gursewak Singh Government College of Physical Education

• Patiala College of Education for girls

• Public College

• Public College of Education

• Punjab College of Education, Raipur

• Punjab Institute of Oriental & Indian Language

• Saint Kabir College of Education

• S. Amarjit Singh Memorial Institute of Law

• Sardar Rajinder Singh Memorial Mukat College of Eduacation for Women

• Sri Guru Harkrishan College of Management and Technology

• State College of Education

• Swami Vivekanand College of Education

• Vidya Sagar College of Management and Technology

• The Corporate Gurus of Business School

Fatehgarh Sahib District:

• Bibi Bhani Panchayati Girls College

• Continantal College of Higher Studies

• Cordia College, Sangol

• Cordia Institute of Business Management

• Desh Bhagat College of Education

• Desh Bhagat Institute of Management & Computer Sciences

• Dolhpin (PG) College of Life Sciences

• Guru Hargobind Singh Khalsa College for Women

• Jawahar Lal Nehru Government College for Women

• Lincoln College of Education

• Lincoln College of Law

• Maghi Memorial College for Women

• Mata Gujri College

• Pine Grove College of Education

• Punjab College of Education

• RIMT College of Education

• Sant Namdev Kanya Mahavidylaya

• Smt. Jawala Devi College of Education

Sangrur District:

• Akal College of Education for Women

• Akal College of Education

• Akal College of Physical Education

• Akal Degree College for Women

• Akal Degree College, Mastuana

• Aasra Institute of Advance Studies

• Aasra College of Education, Rajpura

• Bhai Gurdas College of Law, Sangrur

• Brakkat Girls College of Education

• Colonel College of Education

• Colonel Degree College for Women

• Desh Bhagat College of Education

• Desh Bhagat College, Bardwal Dhuri

• Govt. College, Gurne Khurd

• Govt. College of Education

• Govt. College, Malerkotla

• Govt. College, Munak

• Govt. Ranbir College

• Guru Harkrishan Girls College

• Guru Teg Bahadur College of Education

• Guru Teg Bahadur College for Women

• Guru Nanak College of Education

• Guru Tegh Bahadur College

• Hardik College of Education

• Jasmer Singh Jeji Degree College

• Kabli Mal Ramji Dass Jain College for Women

• Lord Mahavir College of Education

• M and M College of Education, Village Nagri

• M and M. Institute of Management & Technology

• Modern College of Education, Birkalan

• Modern College of Education for Girls

• Modern College of Education, Ranwan

• S.U.S. Govt. College, Sunam

• Sant Baba Attar Singh Khalsa College

• Shaheed Udham College of Education

• Shaheed Udham College of Management & Computer Science

• Shanti Tara College

• Shiva College of Education

• Shivam College of Education

• Shri Guru Teg Bahadur College of Education

• Swami Vivekanand College of Education, Moonak

• Tara Vivek College

• Vidya Sagar College of Education (for girls)

Barnala District:

• Arya Bhatta College

• Guru Gobind Singh College, Sanghera

• Guru Gobind Singh College of Education

• L.B.S. Arya Mahila College

• Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Village Gaihal

• Meeri Peeri Khalsa College, Bhadorh

• S.D. College

• S.D. College of Education

• Sant Ram S.D. College, Near Tarsil Chowk Sangera Raod

• Sacred Heart International College of Education

Bathinda District:

• Aklia College of Education, Village Akliakalan, P.O. Goniana Mandi

• Aklia Degree College, Jaitu Road, Goniana Mandi

• Baba Farid College of Education, V&P.O. Deon, Muktsar Road

• Baba Farid College, Deon

• Baba Moni Ji  Maharaj Education College, Lehra Mohabbat

• Baba Shri Chand JI Govt. College, Sardargarh (BTI)

• Bathinda College of Information & Technology

• Bathinda College of Law

• Bhai Assa Singh Girls College, Goniana Mandi

• D.A.V. College, Bathinda

• G.G.S. College of Education, Talwandi Sabo

• Govt. Rajindra College

• Guru Kashi College of Sikh Studies, Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo

• Guru Kashi College, Damdama Sahib

• Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa Girls College

• Gurukul College, Dera Tupp

• Maharaja Aggarsain College of Education, Jai Singh Wala

• Maharaja Aggarsain College of Information Technology, Jai Singh Wala

• Mata Maisar Khana College of Education  for girls, Maisar Khana

• Mata Sita Ji Degree College (for girls)

• Malwa College of Education, Deon

• Malwa College of Physical Education, Goniana Road

• Malwa College

• Mastermind College of Education

• Mata Sahib Kaur Girls College, Damdama Sahib

• Sant Kabir College of Management Arts & Computer Science for Girls, Bhucho Kurad

• SSD Girls College of Education, Bhokra

• SSD Girls College

• SSD Women’s Institute of Technology

• Swami Dayanand College of Education, Lehra Bega

• Tapacharya Hem Kunwar Rasik Lal Dhariwal Jain Girls College, Raman

• University College, Rampura Phul

Mansa District:

• Bhagwati College of Education for girls, Bhikhi

• Guru Nanak College of Education, (for girls), Samaon, Bhikhi

• Guru Teg Bahadur College of Education, Dalelwala, Teh. Budhladha

• Guru Nanak College, Budhladha

• Mai Bhago College of Education (for girls) Ralla

• Malwa College of Education (for girls) Sardulewala, Sardulgarh

• Malwa College of Trainings and Education, Malakpur Khiala

• Mata Gurdev Kaur Memorial Education Institute (for girls), Bareta

• Meera College of Education, Mansa Road Sardulewala

• Modern College of Education (for girls) Bhikhi

• Milkha Singh Educational Institute, Bareta

• National College, Bhikhi

• Nehru Memorial Govt. College

• S.D. Kanya Mahavidyala

• S.S. College of Education for Girls, Bhikhi

• S.S. Jain College of Ecucation (for girls)

• S.S. College for Girls, Bhikhi

• Sh. Balraj Singh Bhundarh Memorial Govt. college, Sardoolgarh

Faridkot District:

• Akal Sahae College of Education Kotkapura

• Baba Farid Law College

• Bhai Bhagtu Girls’ College, Ramgarh, Bhagtuana

• Govt. Barjindra College

• Hans Raj Memorial College of Education, Baja Khana, Kotkapura

• Pandit Chetan Dev Govt. College of Education

• SBRS College for Women, Sadik

• Shahid Bhagat Singh Government College, Kotkapura

• Umang Red Cross Institute of Special Education

Ropar District:

• Amar Shahid Baba Ajit Singh Jujhar Singh Memorial College, Bela

• Ambika College of Education, Opp. Village Badali, Badala road, Kharar

• Baba Zoravar Singh Fateh Singh Khalsa Girls College, Morinda

• Government College, Roopnagar

• Government Shivalik College, Naya Nangal

• Guru Nanak Dev College of Education, Majatri, Kharar

• Maharaj Braham Sagar Brahmanand Bhuriwale College, Tibba Nangal

• Mehar Chand College of Education, Bhanopli

• Sant Baba Sewa Singh Memorial Khalsa College (Girls), Guru Ka Khuh, Mune, Nurpur Bedi

• Saraswati College of Management & Computer Science, Gharuan, Kharar

• Shahid Kashi Ram Memorial College, Bhagoo Majra (Kharar)

• Shahid Bhagat Singh Khalsa College for Women, Padiala

• Shahid Kashi Ram College of Physical Education, Bhagoo Majra Kharar

• Shivalik Hills College of Education, Patti, P.O. Manakpur, Anandpur Sahib

• Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Anandpur Sahib

Mohali District:

• Army Institute of Law

• Attri College of Education for Girls, Lalru Mandi, Near Shiv Mandir Road, Derabassi

• Chandigarh College of Education, Ladran

• Doaba College of Education, Ghatour

• Divya Shikhsha Gurukul College of Education, Village Ghollu Majra, Derabassi-Lalru Highway

• Government College, Mohali

• Govt. College, Dera Bassi

• International Divine College of Education, P.O. Mullanpur Garibdass, Tehsil Kharar

• Indo Global College of Education, Abhipur

• Lord Krishna College of Education for Women, Village Sundra, Derabassi

• Rayat and Bahra MMTI College of Education, Village Sahoran

• Rayat and Bahra MMTI College of Law, Village Sahoran

• Rattan Professional Education College, V&PO Sohana

• Rattan College of Education, V&PO Sohana

• Sachdeva College of Education, Gharuan, Tehsil Kharar

• Shahid Udham Singh College of Research & Technology, Tangori

• Shivalik Institute of Education & Research

Initially, Punjabi University was established as a teaching and residential university and not as an affiliating university. It started functioning temporarily in Barandari palace and its jurisdiction was fixed only to 16 km radius. Only nine colleges were under its jurisdiction. After that in the year 1965, the university moved to its present campus and several other colleges were brought under its jurisdiction in the year 1969.

Even though, the university was established with the objective of promoting the Punjabi language, it evolved into multi-faculty and multi-faceted institution and several colleges in the districts of Bathinda, Sangrur and Patiala were brought under the university. The university was awarded with A-grade status by NAAC on the basis of its overall performance. A placement cell is also functioning under the university, which was helpful for its students to find placement in top rated companies.