Indira Gandhi National Open University established a Regional Centre at Vijayawada in June 2008, which is an economically, culturally and politically vibrant town in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. IGNOU Regional Centre, Vijayawada is carved out of Regional Centre, Hyderabad and it became operational from July 2008. Established with a view to provide decentralized student support services to the learners from all the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh viz., Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram besides Khammam in Telangana Region and Chittoor in Rayalaseema Region.  It encompassed all the Port Towns of Andhra Pradesh East Coast viz Kalingapatnam, Machilipatnam, Kakinada, Gangavaram and Visakhapatnam and the most famous pilgrimage town viz., Tirupati. 

It began its operations in 2008 with 26 learner support centres: 24 from RC, Hyderabad and 02 from RC, Koraput (Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts were under the jurisdiction of RC, Koraput) and in a span of 03 years, before bifurcation of the jurisdiction of RC, Vijayawada, it had expanded its base of learner support centres to 49.

RC, Vijayawada was bifurcated in March 2011 and a new Regional Centre at Visakhapatnam was established. With the establishment of RC, Visakhapatnam and after reallocation of the districts for these two Regional Centres, the Regional Centre, Vijayawada had the jurisdiction of five districts viz., Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore and Chittor. Khammam district was reallocated to RC, Vijayawada from RC, Visakhapatnam in 2013. 

As a strategy to reach the unreached and make IGNOU’s presence felt in the region, the RSD has notified a Sub Regional Centre at Tirupati in 2013 which will cater to the needs of the learners in the Rayalaseema Region. The three districts viz., Kadapa, Anantapur, and Kurnool which were under the jurisdiction of RC, Hyderabad were attached to the SRC, Tirupati. Thus the SRC at Tirupati catered to the educational needs of four districts of Rayalaseema: Chittor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool.

Consequent upon the Notification issued from RSD in Oct 2016, SRC, Tirupati has been subsequently closed and the activities of the Sub Regional Centre Tirupati were handed over to RC Vijayawada.  In the reallocation of various districts to other RCs, Khammam district which was under RC, Vijayawada has been shifted to RC, Hyderabad.  w.e.f. July 2016. As on date RC Vijayawada caters to Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool districts.