It has facilities at Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit in Bangkok and at Wang Noi in Ayutthaya Province.
The university was founded in 1887 by King Chulalongkorn with the purpose of establishing a higher education institute for Buddhist monks, novices, and laypersons with an emphasis on Buddhist studies and other subjects.
Two of its master's programs, Buddhist studies and philosophy, are internationally oriented and conducted in English.
A new, larger main campus has been built in Wang Noi, Ayutthaya Province, just north of Bangkok.
The university has an affiliated college: Mahapanya Vidayalai at Hat Yai, Songkhla Province.