There are a total of seven universities functioning in the state. Out of these four universities viz. Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut and Kannur are general in nature and are offering various courses. Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Cochin University of Science and Technology and Kerala Agricultural University offer specialized courses in specified subject areas. Besides these, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) established in 2005 is the only National Law University in the state of Kerala.