University of Colorado Denver to establish first US public university campus in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Oct 7 (TNT): The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) has received a letter of intent from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a campus in Hyderabad, making it the first American public university authorised to establish a degree-granting campus in India and the first foreign university to set up a campus in Telangana.
The first batch of students is expected to be admitted in August 2027, subject to regulatory approvals, the university said in a statement on Wednesday.
Additional programmes will be proposed to the UGC for approval from the second year onwards, it said.
The proposed campus will focus on expanding access to globally relevant higher education and contributing to India’s higher education ecosystem.
The Hyderabad campus will leverage CU Denver’s strengths as a public urban research university, with emphasis on academic quality, student outcomes, applied learning, social mobility and workforce relevance.
It will offer programmes in high-demand fields such as business, computing, engineering and analytics, while promoting interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving.
CU Denver Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen said the Hyderabad initiative builds on the university’s long-standing commitment to expanding access to quality education and its association with Indian students.
He said the university would combine rigorous academics, career-oriented learning and real-world experience to prepare students for careers and contributions to their communities.
Global education company Emeritus will serve as CU Denver’s strategic joint venture partner in India and support the establishment and growth of the campus through its expertise in key non-academic functions.
Emeritus Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Damera said the proposed campus would bring globally relevant education closer to Indian students and align with the requirements of a rapidly evolving workforce.
The establishment of CU Denver | Hyderabad is in line with the priorities of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including multidisciplinary education, internationalisation, learner outcomes and career readiness.
CU Denver has around 14,000 students and a global alumni network of more than 100,000 graduates across over 100 countries. It is classified as an R1 research institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, reflecting very high research activity.
The university said the Hyderabad campus would focus on research, civic engagement and career-oriented academic programmes while addressing the evolving needs of students, communities and industry.
CU Denver will continue to work through the regulatory process and engage with academic, industry and other stakeholders as it develops the campus.
