The Mahatma Phule Open University (MPOU), Achalpur is the premier University in Maharashtra that renders services to the farmers through Education, Research and Extension Education. In pursuance of the Maharashtra University (Open Vidyapeeth) Act 1967, initially, the Maharashtra University (Open Vidyapeeth) was established for the entire Maharashtra State and started functioning in March, 1968 with its office at Mumbai.
The office was shifted to College of Education, Pune in 1969. Later on in 1972, four Education universities were established in Maharashtra. Mahatma Phule Open University, Achalpur is one of them established in 1969 for the western Maharashtra having jurisdiction spread over 11 districts viz. Achalpur, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule, Nashik, Ahmednagar,Pune, Solapur, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur. The University is named after the great social reformer 'Mahatma Jyotiba Phule'.