Guru Nanak Dev University was formed in the year 1969 on the 24th of November to honor Guru Nanak Dev Ji on his 500th birth anniversary under the University Act 1969. The university is both an affiliating and a residential university. The university aims at promoting research and imparting education in different fields like sciences, humanities, learned professions, particularly of technology and applied nature.

The motto of the university clearly states its idealism and vision. The campus of the university is spread over an area of 500 acres and its construction with red brick blocks clearly indicates modern architecture. The university is awarded five star status by the NAAC. Over these several years of its existence, the university has developed a wonderful infrastructure in the form of state-of-art labs, computerized library and several other facilities as well. The area-wise list of colleges affiliated to the university is given below:

Amristar:

• BBK DAV College for women

• D.A.V. College

• D.A.V College of Education for Women

• Khalsa College

• Khalsa College of Education

• Khalsa College for Women

• Hindu College

• Shahzada Nand College

• SR Govt. College for Women

• SSSS College of Commerce for Women

• Tri Shatabdi GGS Khalsa College

• Govt. College, Ajnala

• S.D.S.P. Memorial College for Women, Rayya

• S.G.T.B. Govt. College, Sathiala

• Shri Raghunath Girls College

• Mohan Lal Memorial Institute of Education

• Anand College of Education for Women

• Khalsa College of Education

• Sri Guru Teg Bahadur College of Education

• Khalsa College of Physical Education

• Sidana Institute of Education

Tarn Taran:

• Baba Budha College

• S.G.A.D. Govt. College

• Mata Ganga Girls College

• Sewa Devi S.D. College

• Govt. College, Patti

• S.G.A.D. College

• G.G.S. Khalsa College

• SGAD College of Education

• Govt. College of Physical Education

• Shaheed Bhagat Singh College of Education

• Seva Devi College of Education

• Majha College,

• Shaheed Baba Deep Singh College

Gurdaspur:

• Govt. College, Gurdaspur

• Pt. Mohan Lal SD College for Women

• Govt. G.N. College, Kala Afghana

• SRPA Adrash Bhartiya College, Pathankot

• RRMK Arya Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Pathankot

• SMDRSD College, Pathankot

• SRC SD Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Pathankot

• SMDRSD College of Education, Pathankot

• B.U.C. College, Batala

• RR Bawa DAV. College for Girls, Batala

• Guru Nanak College, Batala

• SL Bawa DAV College, Batala

• Shri Vishwa Mittar Sekhari College of Law

• Vishwa Mitar Shekhri College of Education

• Bebe Nanaki Khalsa College for Women

• Hindu Kanya Mahavidayala, Dhariwal

• SDAM College

• S.S.M. College

• S.N. College

• Shaheed Ram Singh Pathania Memorial College

• Mata Gujri Memorial College

• Sant Baba Hazara Singh College of Education

• Cheema College of Education

• Shiwalik College of Education

• JDS College of Education

• Baba Mehar Singh Memorial College of Education

• Shri Sai College of Education, Badani

• Army Institute of Higher Education

• SS College of Education

• Pandit Mohan Lal SD College for Girls

• Baba Banda Singh Bahadur College of Education

• Govt. Degree College, Gurdaspur

• Tagore College of Education For Women, Gurdaspur

• Golden College of Education, Hanuman Chowk

• Pathankot College of Education

• Lilly Swords Mathodist College of Education

• Akarshan College of Education

• Mata Gujri Memorial College of Education

• Aman Bhalla College of Education

• Chacha Satyapal Tuli Memorial College of Education

• Angel’s College of Education

Jalandhar:

• APJ College of Fine Arts

• Doaba College

• D.A.V. College

• Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya

• Kanya Maha Vidyalaya

• Ly. Khalsa College

• Ly. Khalsa College for Women

• MGN College of Education

• PCM SD College for Women

• G.N.D. University College

• St. Soldier College

• Govt. Arts & Sports College

• Govt. College of Education

• B D Arya Girls College

• GGS Govt. College

• Trinity College

• GN Khalsa Girls College

• DRV DAV Centenary College

• GN Khalsa College

• St. Soldier College of Education

• CT College of Education

• P.T.M. Arya College

• Saint Soldier Law College

• St. Soldier College

• KCL Institute of Law

• Sant Baba Bhag Singh Institute of Education

• M.K. College of Education

• Paradise College of Education

• Innocent Heart College of Education

• Lyallpur Khalsa College of Education for Women

• MGSM Janta College, Kartarpur

• GN National College, Nakodar

• GN National College for Women

• KRM DAV College

• M.R.S. Punjab Police Academy

Kapurthala:

• Hindu Kanya College

• NJSA Govt. College

• Guru Nanak College of Education for Women

• SPSK Khalsa College

• SBDSM Khalsa College

• Sant Hira Das Kanya Mahavidyalaya

• S.D. College for Women

• G. N. Khalsa College

• Govt. College, Bholath

• GN Prem Karamsar College

• GN Navbharat College

• Om Prakash Memorial College of Education

• Lord Krishna College of Education

• DIPS College of Education

• Bebe Nanaki University College

Phagwara:

• Kamla Nehru College for Women

• Ramgarhia College

• Ramgarhia College of Education

• GNBL Ramgarhia College for Women

• G.N. College

• GRD College for Women

• Mohan Lal Uppal D.A.V. College

• St. Soldier College

• Kamla Nehru College of Education for Women

Nawan Shehar:

• BLM Girls College

• DAN College of Edu. for Women

• R.K. Arya College

• ASSM College

• S.N. College

• GN College for Women

• Sai College of Education

• K.C. College of Education

• Kirpal Sagar College of Education

Delhi:

• APJ Institute of Design

• APJ Institute of Management & Information Technology

• Guru Nanak Institute of Management Infor. Technology

• Kamal Institute of Higher Edu. & Advance Technology

• New Delhi Institute of Management

• Trinity Institute of Management & Technology

• Guru Hargobind Institute of Management & Information Technology

• Asia Pacific Institute of Management

• Fairfield Inst. of Management

• Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Management and Information Technology

• Sri Fort College of Technology and Management

The university is delightful about the fact that its community has developed over the years in the participative work culture. The university has won inter-university youth festival championship continuously for four years and also has won Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy for 17 times.

The university has been awarded excellence in sports sciences from the University Grants Commission. It has contributed towards accessing higher education to women and it is also performing the role of parenting in monitoring and directing educational programmes in the affiliated colleges spread over five different districts. The university has 37 educational departments apart from different administrative offices.