The history of Jadavpur University can be traced from the Swadeshi Movement onwards. A unitary University, its parent institution was set up by the National Council of Education, Bengal in 1906. In 1910, the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal, which looked after Bengal Technical Institute, and later became College of Engineering and Technology, Bengal, was amalgamated to National Council of Education. After Independence, the institution was converted to a University under the first Jadavpur University Act in 1955, and recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) the same year. From the very beginning, this University distinguished itself by developing a trans-disciplinary programme of teaching and research.

In its sprawling campus of 60 acres in Jadavpur and the newer 20-acre campus in Salt Lake, Jadavpur University has been offering quality education in humanities, science, engineering and technology.

The University was accredited with five star-status in 2001 by the National Assessment and Accreditation Committee for its sustained excellence in teaching, research, outreach programmes, academic administration and infrastructural facilities. The University Grants Commission has also identified it as one of the first five universities in the country credited with 'Potential for Excellence'. This is the first Indian University recognized by the Nippon Foundation as a Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF) institute to promote research by young leaders in social sciences and humanities.

Jadavpur University has a very focused research agenda. An average of 350 research projects funded also from abroad, are being executed. Close interaction between the faculties of Arts, Science and Engineering and Technology has enabled the University to take up several important multidisciplinary research activities.

The Central Library of Jadavpur University has over 4, 18,000 volumes of books on  record, 80,000 bound volumes of journals, 5000 theses and dissertations, and 37,000 items of non-book materials such as reports, pamphlets, maps and micro-forms. In addition, the second campus library has over 14,000 volumes. There are also 29 departmental libraries.

Jadavpur University has a record of extension work and social service, to provide both higher education and technical services to the less privileged section of the society. Various programmes have been started aiming the unemployed youth, rural women, street children, women in urban slums, the mentally challenged, drug addicts, visually challenged, hearing impaired, physically handicapped etc. Safe drinking water programme, afforestation programme, alternate energy promotion programme and programme for women empowerment are some other examples of target group based or issue based education.

Jadavpur University has collaborated with various universities all over the world i.e. Bournemouth University, U.K., Technical University of Munich, Germany, University of Trento, Italy, Brunei University, U.K. University of Maranhao, Brazil etc on strategic services.

Jadavpur University has also been in close contact with industry through its support and services in fields like Technology Development, Consultancy and Testing, Manpower Training, Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) and Extension. The Industry Institute Partnership Cell (IIPC), which has achieved great success in its endeavours, is an example of this interaction.

The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Jadavpur University on its golden jubilee.