When the University of Ranchi was established on July 12,1960, it had 10 postgraduate departments, one constituent college (Ranchi College, Ranchi) and 20 affiliated colleges having territorial jurisdiction over an area of 65,000 sq km. its location in the predominantly tribal area carries with it special obligations and responsibilities, particularly towards the backwards population. This University has to cater the needs of multi-lingual population. For many decades it remained the SOLE centre of higher education in this region and it successfully met the expectations and aspirations of the people.

Even today this University is the leading institution of higher learning in this part of the country in terms of territorial jurisdiction it has, composition of the population it caters to the needs of , range, dimension & quality of academic programmes/courses it offers and avenues for research it provides.

At present Ranchi University has 23 post-graduate, departments, 15 constituent colleges, 24 affiliated colleges/institutions besides Academic Staff College and Adult Continuing education & Extension Department. Eight deans of faculties oversee the academic affairs in different disciplines. It has (in its rank) 1 medical collages, 1 law colleges, 4 technical institutes, 2 institutes of neuro-psychiatry and allied sciences, 3 autonomous college and 1 management institute.

Two of its units namely Jamshedpur Women’s College and St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi were accorded College with Potential for Excellence (CPE) status by UGC. 15 colleges/ institutions under Ranchi University have been accredited by NAAC.

Ranchi University has a separate administrative block containing university secretariat (Birsa bhawan), examination section (Tagore Bhawan) and Maulana Azad senate hall in the heart of the city. Adult continuing education & extension department functions from the same campus.

University departments, academic staff college, central library, university computer centre, tabulation centre, multi purpose examination hall are situated at Morhabadi near Ranchi College, Ranchi. It has 2 hostels for post graduate students- one for boys at Morhabadi and another for girls at Bariatu where the university quarters for teachers and staff are located. For undergraduate students there are more than a dozen hostels on the campus of concerned units. Recently an off campus office for Vice-Chancellor became operational near women’s section of Marwari College.