Lovely Professional University (LPU) is a state private university located in Phagwara, in the Kapurthala district of Punjab, India. It was established in 2005 under the Lovely Professional University Act passed by the Punjab State Legislature, and is one of the larger private universities in northern India by student enrolment and campus area.
| Type | State private university |
|---|---|
| Established | 2005 |
| Location | Phagwara, Kapurthala district, Punjab, India |
| Founder/Promoter | Lovely International Trust (Mittal family) |
| Chancellor | Ashok Mittal |
| Recognition | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
The university is promoted by the Lovely International Trust, founded by the Mittal family, which earlier ran the Lovely Group of educational institutions in Jalandhar and Phagwara. The institution traces its origin to these earlier schools and colleges, which were consolidated and expanded into a multidisciplinary university campus on the Jalandhar–Delhi G.T. Road (NH-44) in Phagwara.
The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and doctoral programmes through faculties covering engineering and technology, management, applied sciences, humanities, law, journalism and media, design, agriculture, pharmacy, hotel management, and performing arts. Admissions to several programmes are conducted through the institution's own entrance examination, the Lovely Professional University National Entrance Test (LPUNEST), alongside acceptance of national-level scores such as JEE for engineering streams.
The main campus is situated along the Grand Trunk Road in Phagwara, between Jalandhar and Ludhiana, and is well connected by rail and road to Delhi, Amritsar, and Chandigarh. The campus houses academic blocks, residential hostels, sports facilities, an auditorium, and student amenities, and hosts cultural and technical festivals attended by participants from across India.
LPU is among the most prominent private universities in Punjab in terms of enrolment, drawing students from across Indian states and a number of foreign countries. It has been a notable example of the post-2000 expansion of private higher education in India under state private university legislation, and has frequently appeared in national rankings such as the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).