Hyderabad, 7 Oct 2026: The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) has received the letter of intent from India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a new campus in Hyderabad making it the first American publicuniversity authorized to establish a degree-granting location in India, and the first foreign university overall in Telangana.
The initiative will expand access to high-quality, globally relevant education while contributing responsibly to India’s evolving higher education ecosystem. It will draw on CU Denver’s strengthsas a public urban research university, with a focus on academic quality, student outcomes, applied learning, social mobility, and workforce relevance.
CU Denver offers an academically rigorous, career-focused education designed to prepare ambitious students for success in a fast-changing global economy. By combining a strong academic foundationwith hands-on, experiential learning, students gain not only deep subject knowledge, but also the practical skills, confidence, and adaptability they need to turn their education into meaningful opportunities.
Drawing on the strengths of CU Denver, the Hyderabad location will offer pathways in high-demand fields including business, computing, engineering, and analytics, while encouraging interdisciplinarythinking and problem-solving. The result is an education that prepares students to be highly skilled and capable professionals, innovative thinkers, and globally minded leaders equipped to build rewarding careers and make an impact in India and around theworld while remaining connected to the CU Denver home-campus experience.
Kenneth T. Christensen, PhD, chancellor of CU Denver said, “Expanding access to high-quality education has long been central to CU Denver’s vision and goals. Our plans in Hyderabad build on that commitment, as well as our longstanding connection with students from India who have been part of the CUDenver community for decades. We now have an opportunity to extend that connection and bring our unique experience to students in India—combining rigorous academics, career-aligned learning, and real-world experience that prepare students for meaningful careersand contributions to their communities.”
Global education company Emeritus is the university's strategic joint venture partner in India, working alongside the university to enable its successful establishment and growth through expertiseacross key non-academic functions.
