NITTE University was established by the NITTE Education Trust. The Trust was founded in 1979 with the goal of empowering rural youth through high-quality education and healthcare by one of India's most renowned statesmen, the late Justice KS Hegde, Supreme Court Judge and Speaker of the Lok Sabha. NITTE University is located in the Pentagon Building, Pumpwell Circle, near Indiana Hospital in Mangalore. In 2021, the NAAC accredited the university with an A+ grade.