KL University

K L University, formerly Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering (KLCE) and Koneru Lakshmaiah University, is a higher educational institution Deemed to be University, located in Vaddeswaram, near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Established in 1980 as a college of engineering, it consists of eight schools, offering academic programs at UG, PG, doctoral, and post-doctoral industry-focused courses.^[2]

KL University

Other names	K L Deemed to be University
Former names	Koneru Lakshmaiah University, Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering
Type	Deemed to be University
Established	1980
Chancellor	Koneru Satyanarayana
President	Koneru Satyanarayana[1]
Vice-Chancellor	G. Pardha Saradhi Varma[1]
Address	Green Fields , Vaddeswaram, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh , 522502 , India 16°26′32″N 80°37′21″E
Campus	KLEF Vijayawada: 0.404686 km2 (100 acres) KLEF Hyderabad (temporary campus): 0.09290304 km2 (23 acres)
Language	English
Colours	Red
Website	kluniversity.in

History

KLEF was established in 1980 at Vaddeswaram as K L College of Engineering (KLCE). It became autonomous in 2006 and was recognized as deemed to be university in 2009, known as K L University.^[3] Following the University Grants Commission's request from 123 deemed institutes, not to use "university" in the name^[4] it was renamed Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF). In 2019, it was renamed K L Deemed to be University.^[5]

Location

Koneru Lakshmaiah Deemed to be University is situated in a 100-acre (40 ha) site adjacent to Buckingham Canal, and is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Vijayawada^[6] in Krishna district and 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Guntur. The university is in Guntur District.

Schools

KLEF includes the following schools:^[7]

• K L College of Engineering
• K L School of Science & Humanities
• K L School of Architecture
• K L School of Management
• K L School of Fine Arts
• K L School of Commerce
• K L School of Pharmacy
• K L School of Law
• K L School of Agriculture
• Center for Distance and Online Education

Rankings

In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation has been ranked 40th overall in India,^[8] 22nd among universities,^[9] 79th in the management category,^[10] and 35th in engineering.^[11]

University rankings
Engineering – India
NIRF (2024)[12]	35

Controversies

NAAC rating bribery case

The university’s NAAC accreditation status was suspended for five years following allegations of offering inducements to the assessor team to secure a favourable ranking.^[13] In February 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested and later bailed the members of a NAAC inspection committee and individuals associated with alleged NAAC bribery case related to accreditation and the investigation remains ongoing. The university was undergoing reassessment, with the council’s inspection in progress.^[14]