Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) is a public state university located in Madurai city, in southern Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1966. MKU is one of the 15 universities in India with the University with Potential for Excellence status. Which was awarded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in India. In 2021, the university has been awarded an 'A++' grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in its 4th cycle.

As Madurai University, the institution first opened its doors in 1966. In 1978, the name was changed to Madurai Kamaraj University to honour K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Madras State. There are 121 colleges and institutions under MKU which include 16 aided colleges, 24 autonomous colleges (including both government and self financed), 4 constituent colleges, 1 MKU college, 5 MKU evening colleges, 57 self financed colleges and 14 approved institutions. Currently, the university consists of 77 renowned Departments and 20 renowned Schools as a whole. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranked Madurai Kamaraj University 83rd overall in India and 63rd among universities in 2021.