Patliputra University (PPU) is a collegiate public state university located in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established in 2018 by the Government of Bihar. The university has jurisdiction over colleges in the Patna and Nalanda districts, except those affiliated with Patna University. As a collegiate university, its functions are shared between the university departments and its affiliated institutions. The headquarters is situated at Kankarbagh, Patna, while a permanent campus is under development near Bakhtiyarpur.
In 2015, Bihar's education minister indicated that Magadh University (MU) might be divided into two or three universities due to the difficulties in managing its large number of affiliated colleges. In July of the same year, the then vice-chancellor of MU, Mohammad Ishtiyaque, decided to strengthen the university's Patna branch office to reduce the need for students to visit the headquarters at Bodh Gaya. As part of this process, a committee was established to oversee the expansion and development of the Patna branch office.
On 30 July 2016, the Bihar cabinet approved the Bihar State Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which paved the way for the creation of Patliputra University by bifurcating Magadh University.
In October 2017, a notice was issued inviting applications for the posts of vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor. More than 150 professors applied for these posts. On 19 March 2018, Bihar governor Satya Pal Malik appointed Girish Kumar Choudhary as pro-vice-chancellor and Gulab Chand Ram Jaiswal as vice-chancellor of Patliputra University under the Bihar State University (Amendment) Act, 1976.
Admitted students of Magadh University (MU) will be awarded degrees by the MU. The university started operating academically from the 2018âÂÂ19 academic year. The programmes being offered at the university be the same as the ones being offered at Magadh University.
The university plans to launch postgraduate departments in science, commerce and arts stream at university level after many of the postgraduate departments went to MU after the bifurcation. Some of Patna's better institutions come under Patliputra University after its creation.
As of September 2025, Upendra Prasad Singh serves as the vice-chancellor of the university, while Ganesh Mahto continues as the pro-vice-chancellor.
The Governor of Bihar acts as the chancellor of Patliputra University.
Abubakar Rizvi serves as the registrar, and Manoj Kumar is the proctor.
The university is headquartered in Patna and administratively operate from Magadh University branch office on Kankarbagh old bypass in the Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood of Patna, whilst, its permanent campus will be located at Bakhtiyarpur.
Patliputra University's PG campus will be built in BS College, Danapur, then Vice Chancellor Prof. RK Singh inspected the BS College regarding the construction of PG campus.
The university's jurisdiction extends over two districts, Nalanda and Patna.