Atatürk University's history is one of the dreams that came true for the Republic of Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, spoke about the necessity of establishing a large university in Eastern Anatolia at his Grand National Assembly inauguration speech on 1st November 1937 and also gave instructions for the start of the proceedings. After the death of Atatürk a break was taken from these proceedings for twelve years until when in 1950 this issue was put back on the agenda. A committee, which was formed in 1951, proposed that the university to be established in the East be in the Erzurum province.

Atatürk University consists of 17 faculties, 5 high schools, 15 vocational high schools, 6 institutes and 16 research centers.