Anna University is a public state university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The main campus is in Guindy. It was originally established on 4 September 1978 and is named after C. N. Annadurai, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Anna University (Chennai) comprises four colleges - the principal seat College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG, Guindy Campus), Alagappa College of Technology (ACT, Guindy Campus), Madras Institute of Technology (MIT, Chromepet Campus) and School of Architecture and Planning (SAP, Guindy Campus).

The first version of Anna University was formed in 1978 and various governments changed the varsity's structure and affiliation scope repeatedly. In 2001, under the Anna University Amendment Act of 2001, the erstwhile Anna University became an affiliating university, taking under its wings all the engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu. This included six government engineering colleges, three government-aided private institutions, and 426 self-financed colleges. On 1 February 2007, as a result of a Government of Tamil Nadu decision, the university was split into six constituent universities: Anna University, Chennai; Anna University of Technology, Chennai; Anna University of Technology, Tiruchirappalli; Anna University of Technology, Coimbatore; Anna University of Technology Tirunelveli and Anna University of Technology, Madurai. The institutes were formally created in 2010. On 14 September 2011 during period of Ex CM Jayalalithaa, a bill was passed to re-merge the universities. The merger was finalized in August 2012.

In 2011 and 2012 the constituents colleges were merged back to a single affiliating university and the four regional universities continue to function as a regional campus of the university.

The School of Architecture and Planning was established as a Department of Architecture of the University of Madras in 1957 and was located in the Alagappa College of Technology. The department was later renamed as the School of Architecture and Planning and shifted to its own independent campus in 1968. It became a constituent college of the University at its founding. It started to functions as two departments namely Department of Architecture and Department of Planning from 2005 till date.

SAP has a Centre for Human Settlements (CHS) which is an autonomous Centre of the Anna University that was established in 1980. It is an interdisciplinary Centre offering Consultancy, Training, Research and Extension services in the areas related to Urban and Regional Planning, Development and Management. The Quality Improvement Program (QIP) Cell was established by the AICTE at SAP campus and has provided the research facilities for teachers of other architectural institutions besides providing admission to PG degree course.

A common entrance test – the Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Examination (TNPCEE) – was used as a basis for admission to professional courses in the state until 2006. Starting in the academic year 2007–08, students were admitted to engineering colleges on the basis of their higher secondary marks. Post-graduate admission process is carried out through TANCET and GATE scores.

The university offers courses in engineering and technology through its affiliated colleges and follows a dual semester system. Every year the university conducts examinations for the even semester in May–June and for an odd semester in November–December.