Originally founded in Rockhampton in 1967 as the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) Capricornia, it was awarded full university status in 1992, and now has more than 30,000 students spread across 25 campuses and locations Australia-wide. This reach has firmly established CQUniversity as one of the largest universities based in regional Australia, with campuses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne, Noosa, Perth, Rockhampton, Sydney and Townsville. 

Along with these campuses the University also operates study centres in Broome, Busselton and Karratha, and delivers programs in Cooma and Geraldton thanks to partnerships with the respective University Centres in those communities. In 2014 the University merged with CQ TAFE, bringing together more than 175 years combined experience in the delivery of education and training, and establishing Queensland’s first dual sector, comprehensive university. A renowned research institution and a the benchmark leader for how Universities should engage with their communities, its record of achievement over the past few years is matched only by the ambitious aspirations it has set itself over the coming five years, with a continued expansion of student success, research excellence, social innovation and community engagement firmly in its sights. 

 The University delivers more than 300 education and training offerings, from short courses and certificates, through to undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Study areas include Apprenticeships, Trades and Training, Business, Accounting and Law, Creative, Performing and Visual Arts, Education and Humanities, Engineering and Built Environment, Health, Information Technology and Digital Media, Psychology, Social Work and Community Services, Science and Environment, and Work and Study Preparation. As a pioneer in the delivery of online study, CQUniversity continues to be a leader in this area, with almost half of the current student cohort being made up of students studying off-campus, many of whom are based in rural and remote areas. CQUniversity is also proud to have the highest ratio of students from low socio-economic, mature age, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and first-in-family backgrounds. The University defines itself by who it embraces rather than who it excludes, and because of this is widely recognised as Australia's most inclusive university.