Ranchi University came into existence on the 12th of July, 1960 as a teaching-cum-affiliating university with headquarters at Ranchi. Today it has jurisdiction over the districts of Ranchi,  Lohardaga,Gumla,Simdega . Right since its inception Ranchi University has been alive to the ever increasing demands of higher education. Keeping apace with changing times, the University today offers vocational courses. For the less privileged students coming from the scheduled tribes or scheduled castes, special coaching classes are engaged to prepare them for competitive examinations.

The syllabi for main stream courses in science, humanities and commerce too have been upgraded to meet the requirements of University Grants Commission(UGC).