The university was named after Gurajada Apparao, a noted Indian playwright, dramatist, poet, and writer known for his works in Telugu theatre.
[13][14] The University is spread across an area of 80 acres (32 hectares) in Dwarapudi panchayat of Vizianagaram district.
The territorial jurisdiction of the university comprises three erstwhile north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh: Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.
Students are admitted into the undergraduate programs based on their score in the Engineering Agricultural and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (EAPCET) conducted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Students are admitted into postgraduate programs based on their Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) scores and rankings or their ranking in the Post Graduate Engineering Common Entrance Test (PGECET) conducted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.