The Kaduna State University was established under the Kaduna State Law Number 3 promulgated on 21st May, 2004. The promulgation was a consequence of the obvious and felt need to boost higher education in the State and the country in general. The underlying factor is the fact that the demand for University education in Nigeria has, since the past few years, risen astronomically. This has been the basis of reform regarding the establishment and ownership of Universities by both the public and the private sector. Since the reforms, many State and Private universities have been established. The objective is to provide added opportunities for advancing the frontiers of learning, through teaching, research and community service by taking cognizance of the needs and aspirations of the people of Nigeria.
These needs, fuelled by population growth in Nigeria, increased awareness of the importance of tertiary education and the need to accelerate the development of the necessary man-power for nation building, justified the need for establishment of many more universities in Nigeria. Another reason is that, access to education has been the defining factor in the establishment of institutions of learning in Nigeria, which aim at addressing the challenges of inadequate spaces for eligible university applicants.
Kaduna State has been a Centre of Learning from pre-colonial era to the present time. The State has enjoined the presence of some famous secondary and tertiary schools. In terms of number, Kaduna State has maintained a large number of public schools comparable to any state in the northern region, both at the lower and higher level. However, the number of youths competing for higher education in the state far exceeds the available spaces in the catchment universities of the State. Human resources needs of the State in critical areas of development and growth such as agriculture, industry, engineering, medicine and law have therefore remained unfulfilled causing frustration among young men and women, their parents and guardians, potential employers and the general society as a whole. This growing need, arising from both the national trend and the inadequacy of the current University level education to accommodate all who qualify and are able, calls for the establishment of a State owned University in Kaduna State.
Consequent upon these, the Kaduna State Government set up a Technical Committee to review the situation in detail and appraise the State Government on the desirability or otherwise of such an undertaking. The Committee was inaugurated on Friday, 24th January, 2003 and submitted its report on Monday, 12th May, 2003. Sequel to this the Kaduna State University was established on 21st May, 2004 with two campuses, one in Kaduna town and the other in Kafanchan. Academic activities commenced in 2005/2006 academic session at Kaduna campus with 3 Faculties, 17 Academic Departments, 19 Undergraduate Programmes and a College of Basic Studies. At present, the University has 2 Colleges, 2 Schools, 8 Faculties, 51 Academic Departments, 32 Undergraduate Programmes and 54 Postgraduate Programmes in the 2 campuses. This shows how the University has spectacularly grown over the years. According to statistics on number of applicants for admission into Nigerian Universities by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for 2017, KASU was the second most-sort-after State University in Nigeria. Our achievement so far, is not unconnected with the college of reputable academics that the University has been able to attract and the sound and robust administration it has been enjoying.