UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence.

[4] By 1906, the college was also offering programs for training assistant engineers, land surveyors and primary school teachers.

The first equipped laboratory for bacteriological analysis was added in 1905, with donations from Sir Henry Wellcome, an American-British pharmaceutical entrepreneur and archaeologist.

[4] In 1947, the college was affiliated with The University of London as the first overseas participant in its "special relationship" scheme.

[7] The university was closed several times after the 1989 military coup d'état for the intensive participation of its students in pro-democracy rallies.

[citation needed] In the early days of the Sudanese civil war (2023-present) in April 2023, at least one student was killed and some injured by gunfire and the University was shut down for days while eagerly seeking support to evacuate dozens of people stranded and sheltering on campus.

In September 2024, the Sudanese Armed Forces launched a major offensive in Khartoum and claimed to have retaken the university.

[citation needed] There are four campuses: Undergraduate admission policy is governed by the Board of Higher Education of Sudan, which sets the minimum admission requirement for high school students based on their national origin (Sudanese vs. non-Sudanese) and the high-school certificate board.

[12] Students of University of Khartoum engage in workshops, lectures, debates, forum activism, book clubs and political parties.

Its development was continued until in 1993 an ordinance was passed for the establishment of the College of Medical Laboratory Sciences an independent institution affiliated to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

There also is a growing trend for medical lab scientists to perform wellness laboratory testing aimed at preventing disease.

Teaches the knowledge of pathogenic parasites such as malaria, worms such as Schistosomes and insect vectors of diseases.

The school now has approximately 60 outstanding faculty and staff and 600 students enrolled in BDS degree programs, 90 postgraduate and 90 dental technology.

One of the most programs arranged by ADSUK are the Health Field Trip where students as well as staff member travel to rural areas and stay there to give distant citizens dental services and to educate them.

In addition to the ICT centre, the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences has its own Information Technology research unit which is active in developing and promoting Open Source software in Sudan.

Since the independence of Sudan, highly qualified Sudanese were appointed to the position of University of Khartoum vice chancellor.