Afyon Kocatepe University was founded in 1992, and it started educational activities in 1992-1993 academic years with three academic units. However, the history of university goes back to 1974 when Afyonkarahisar Finance and Accounting School was established as a branch of Eskişehir Economics and Trading Sciences Academy. Since then, more than 140.000 students have graduated from our university.

Uşak Vocational School affiliated to Ege University, Afyonkarahisar Vocational School affiliated to Anadolu University and Bolvadin Vocational School were also affiliated to Afyon Kocatepe University during their establishment. Furthermore,  Afyonkarahisar Atatürk Health Services Vocational School was opened in Afyonkarahisar city center in 1992.  Apart from these units affiliated to Afyon Kocatepe University, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty of Technical Education, the Institute of Social Sciences and the Institute of Science were established in Afyonkarahisar.

Before the 1993-1994 academic year, a vocational school was opened in the provinces of Dinar, Emirdağ, Sandıklı, Şuhut in Afyonkarahisar with the permission of the Higher Education Council. In 1994-1995 academic year, a vocational school was established in Çay and İscehisar districts of Afyonkarahisar. In the 1995-1996 academic year, Sultandağı Vocational School was opened. In the 1996-1997 academic year, Afyonkarahisar Health School was opened in addition to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Afyonkarahisar. In 1998, Faculty of Medicine was opened in Afyonkarahisar. The State Conservatory was established in Afyonkarahisar in 1999 and the School of Foreign Languages in 2004.

The law regarding the establishment of new faculties, institutes and colleges affiliated to Afyon Kocatepe University was published in the Official Gazette dated January 16, 2001 and numbered 24289 and entered into force.  Faculty of Education, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Physical Education and Sports and Health Sciences Institute were opened in Afyonkarahisar with this law. In 2004, the School of Foreign Languages was established with the approval of the Council of Ministers upon the request of Afyon Kocatepe University. The decision of the Council of Ministers was published in the Official Gazette No. 25448 dated April 30, 2004.

Afyon Kocatepe University’s proposal to open a Compulsory Foreign Language (English) Preparatory Class in the Formal Education Programs of the Economics, Business and Finance Departments within the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences was examined at the General Assembly of Higher Education on 14/01/2005 and In accordance with the article 7 / d-2 and 7 / h of the Law numbered 2547 amended by the Law numbered 2880 and the article 7 of the Regulation on Foreign Language Education and Teaching in Foreign Language Education in Higher Education Institutions, it was deemed appropriate .

The School of Tourism and Hotel Management was established in the 2005-2006 academic year; 4 faculties, 1 school and 6 vocational schools of Afyon Kocatepe University in Uşak were transferred to Uşak University, which was established in accordance with the Law No. 5467, which was published in the Official Gazette dated March 17, 2006 and separated from Afyon Kocatepe University.

In the 2006-2007 academic year, a vocational school was established in Afyonkarahisar’s Sinanpaşa and Bayat districts. In 2007-2008 academic year, in addition to the establishment of Başmakçı Vocational School, as a result of the mutual protocol between Süleyman Demirel University and Afyon Kocatepe University, Dazkırı Vocational School was transferred to Afyon Kocatepe University. Afyon Kocatepe University Distance Education Vocational School was established in the 2008-2009 academic year.

The closure of Afyon Kocatepe University Technical Education Faculty and the establishment of the Faculty of Technology were decided by the Council of Ministers on 02/11/2009, according to the additional article 30 of the Law No. 2809 dated 28/3/1983. Afyon Kocatepe University Technology Faculty was established. In addition, in the 2009-2010 academic year, Afyon Kocatepe University Bolvadin School of Applied Sciences was established with the Cabinet Decree.

The establishment of Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Law was decided by the Council of Ministers on 21/06/2010, according to the additional article 30 of the Law No. 2809 dated 28/3/1983 upon the letter of the Ministry of National Education dated 19/01/2010 and numbered 913. Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Law was established following the decision numbered 2010/615 published in the Official Gazette dated 15 November 2010 Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Dentistry was established in the 2010-2011 academic year with the Decree of the Council of Ministers numbered 2011/1595 published in the Official Gazette dated 15 April 2011 and numbered 27906.

Pharmacy and Islamic Sciences Faculties were officially established in September 2012. While the Faculty of Pharmacy continues its academic and administrative structure, the Faculty of Islamic Sciences started education by taking its first students with additional placement in the 2013-2014 academic year. The decision of the Council of Ministers numbered 2014/6728 regarding the establishment of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics was published in the Official Gazette numbered 29100 on August 26, 2014. Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics has been officially established.

Faculties of Dentistry, Pharmacy and Medicine, Atatürk Health Services Vocational School, Bolvadin Health Services Vocational School and Şuhut Health Services Vocational School and Afyon Kocatepe University, which are affiliated to Afyon Kocatepe University, have been transformed into the Faculty of Health Sciences. and it was transferred to Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, which was established in accordance with the Law No. 7141, which entered into force after being published in the Official Gazette No. 30425, and seperated from Afyon Kocatepe University.

Our University School of Physical Education and Sports was transformed into the Faculty of Sports Sciences with the 1773 decision number of the Official Gazette dated November 11, 2019 and numbered 30945. Thus, the School of Physical Education and Sports, one of the 6 colleges of our university, became the 13th faculty of our university as the Faculty of Sport Sciences.

Afyon Kocatepe University Distance Education Application and Research Center was established with the regulation published in the Official Gazette dated July 22, 2020 and numbered 31193, within the scope of the studies carried out through the distance education system that has to be applied in all education processes in our university during the Covid-19 Pandemic process.