Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University was established in 1992 as a state university with four proposed faculties: the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and Humanities, the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, the Faculty of Technical Education and the Faculty of Fisheries. Mugla School of Management, founded in 1975, originally affiliated with the Ankara Academy of Economics and Administrative Sciences, was the first higher education institution in Muğla. It then became the first faculty of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University upon its establishment. In addition, Muğla Vocational School, founded in 1989 as part of Izmir Dokuz Eylül University, joined Muğla University.

When first founded, the aim of the university was to support contemporary instruction and research in various areas of the social, natural, and pedagogical sciences, as well as the arts and humanities, in conjunction with vocational training. At that time, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University had only 1,128 students in one department and three programmes. Over the past 20 years, the university has grown to include nine faculties, three graduate schools, four schools, nine vocational schools, and thirteen research and application centres:

1993: Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University officially begins academic activities with two active faculties and one vocational school.

1994: Ula Vocational School and Ortaca Vocational School open their doors

1995: Milas Vocational School and the School of Physical Education and Sports join the university

1997: Muğla School of Health and the Faculty of Technical Education welcome their first students

1998: Fethiye Vocational School begins academic activities

1999: Dalaman Vocational School founded

2001: The Faculty of Education and School of Tourism and Hotel Management begin academic activities

2002: Fethiye School of Health opens

2004: The Faculty of Fine Arts, the Faculty of Fisheries, and Yatağan Vocational School open.

2006: The Faculty of Engineering and Datça Vocational School open and welcome their first students

2007: The Faculty of Medicine joins the university

2010: The Faculty of Arts & Sciences and Humanities divides into two faculties: the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Letters and Humanities.

Since its establishment, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University has been in pursuit of quality higher education and research in order to contribute to the sociocultural, scientific, and technological development of Turkey. Developing a systematic and comprehensive education programme for the thorough dissemination, discovery, and application of knowledge requires a competent infrastructure. As such, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University embarked on a fast advancement and investment project in 1994. The benefactor of the university, Sıtkı Koçman, whose financial contributions to education deserve great admiration, has also supported this push for growth.

Today, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University encompasses a two million square metre campus surrounded by a spectacular mountain view and smaller university sites and schools across the province. Currently, the university services over 32,000 students and employs over 1,300 full time academic staff.