Kuwait University was established in October 1966, five years after Kuwait became an independent state. It started with the Colleges of Science, Arts and Education, and a women’s college, with 418 students on roll and 31 faculty members. By 1999/2000, the students strength increased to 19,001 with a proportionate increase in faculty that reached 1,042. Despite this expansion, the university budget, which was KD 117,111,000 KD for the fiscal year 1998/1999, declined to KD 106,689,000, illustrating the administrative care in maintaining institutional developmental momentum while preserving resources and ensuring rational and optimum utilization of available funds and facilities.

The institutional expansion continued alongside, and within an year of its establishment three additional Colleges of Law, Shari’a, Commerce, Economics and Political Science (presently the College of Business Administration) were inaugurated following the issuance of the Amiri Decree on April 1, 1967. Subsequent Amiri Decrees led to intense institutional development throughout this period resulting in:

• Separating the Colleges of Science and Medicine on October 20, 1967;
• Establishing the College of Medicine on July 3, 1973, with its academic session starting in 1976/1977;
• Establishing the College of Engineering and Petroleum on December 4, 1974;
• Inaugurating the College of Graduate Studies in 1977;
• Inaugurating the College of Education on May 17, 1980, until then the Department of Education at the College of Arts, with classes staring in 1981/1982.
• Establishing a Centre for Civil Engineering in response to the decision of the Minister of Education and Higher Education on January 13, 1982, followed by similar centers for Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Nursing.
• Separating the College of Allied Health Sciences and Nursing from Medicine on June 22, 1982;
• Establishing the College of Pharmacy in February 1996;
• Establishing the College of Dentistry in May 1996;
• Establishing the College of Social Sciences in 1998.

These developments would not have been possible without Kuwait University's firm commitment to its mission of higher education, as approved by the University Council, which embodies the institutional vision, philosophy, ideology and objectives, encompassing the broad values of humanity and dignity, while endeavoring to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Presently, Kuwait University offers 65 academic programs through its 12 colleges. The number of registered students has already reached 18,436 in undergraduate programs, with additional 565 students pursuing graduate studies. By 1999/2000, the university had 2,914 alumni.