KCD is the oldest college affiliated to Karnataka University, Dharwad.

[2] Karnataka College was founded in June 1917 by Diwan Bahadur Rodda Srinivasaray and Rao Bahadur R. C. Aratal Rudragoudar, with the aim of setting up an educational institution in the region so that students did not need to travel to Bombay or Pune for their studies.

Siddappa Kambli, then the Minister of Education for the Government of Bombay, played a significant role in and was in charge of ensuring that Karnatak College kept offering instruction in the North Karnataka region.

In January 2023 when Dharwad hosted the 26th National Youth Festival, Karnatak College was the main venue for the 26th annual event of National Youth Festival.

Dharwad was the host for the annual fest and KCD was among the 7 venues of the event.