Higher education started in 1967 in Elazig, which has a rich cultural life. A Higher Technical School was first opened in Elazig in 1967, and in the same year, the decision of the Ankara University Senate to establish the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Elazig was approved by the Ministry of National Education. Higher Technical School was transformed into Elazig State Engineering and Architecture Academy (EDMMA) in 1969 with the law numbered 1184, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine started education in 1970 under Ankara University. In order to gather the higher education institutions in Elazig under a single roof, Fırat University was established on April 11, 1975 within the framework of a structure consisting of Veterinary, Science and Literature Faculties and started its activities. Fırat University, which was restructured with the Higher Education Law No. 2547 and the Decree Law No. 41, was renamed the Faculty of Science and Letters by combining the Faculties of Science and Letters, and EDMMA was transformed into the Faculty of Engineering and joined the University in 1982. As of this year, many faculties, institutes, colleges and vocational schools in Elazig city center, neighboring provinces (Bingöl, Muş, Tunceli) and districts (Muş-Malazgirt, Erzincan-Kemaliye) affiliated to Fırat University, which strives to become a regional university, have been opened. Currently, within the body of Firat University; It houses 17 faculties, 2 colleges, a state conservatory, 9 vocational colleges, 4 institutes, 24 research centers, a university hospital, a dentistry hospital, and an animal hospital. Our university gained the right to become a research university in 2022. Fırat University ranked 19th among 121 state universities in the 2021-2022 URAP Turkey ranking. In Stanford University's research on the top 2 per cent of the world's scientists, 42 academicians from Fırat University were included in the list. Fırat University ranks second in the list of universities with the highest number of academicians from Turkey. The university has taken important steps in protecting the ecological environment, participated in the green campus campaign, organised GreenMetric trainer trainings and 50 academicians were certified in this field. The Innovative and Entrepreneurial Universities Index of the university is quite high. Until today, many TÜBİTAK, EraNet, Erasmus and other international projects have been carried out within the university.