Mangalore University campus at Mangalagangothri, located about 20 km to the south-east of the historic coastal town of Mangalore, sets the tone for the educational endeavours of the three districts under the jurisdiction of the University. It is a picturesque campus that sprawls over 353 acres, overlooking the confluence of the river Nethravathi with the Arabian Sea on one side, and the cloud-capped Western Ghats on the other. It grew out of a modest Postgraduate Centre of the University of Mysore to become the focal point of an independent University in 1980. The campus, which once housed only three postgraduate departments, now has 26 postgraduate departments, supported by modern infrastructure and experienced faculty. Mangalore University has grown impressively since its inception with 204 affiliated colleges, two constituent colleges (at Mangalore and Madikeri) and five autonomous colleges. The University has established Jnana Kaveri, the PG Centre at Chikka Aluvara, Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu district, with two departments, and offers 11 postgraduate and two Ph D. programmes.