The former name of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University was Avadh University, which was established by the government of Uttar Pradesh under the Uttar Pradesh University Act of 1973. Located in Faizabad, it is a state administered University and is a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The University was renamed after Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a freedom fighter and an eminent personality. Established in 1975, the University is a teaching cum affiliating University. In the year 1985 the University became a residential University. The territorial jurisdiction of the University extends to nine districts of Uttar Pradesh. Thay are the districts of Faizabad, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Balrampur, Baharaich, Shravasti and Gonda.

The residential section started its operations with four departments in the campus, namely, History, Culture and Archaeology, Rural Economics, Mathematics and Statistics and Solid State Physics. The University offers undergraduate and postgraduate studies and conducts researches in the discipline of Economics, Mathematics & Statistics, Bio-Chemistry, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences and Business Administration. Other than these conventional courses unconventional subjects like Extension Education & Rural Development, Mass Communication & Journalism, Social Work, and Library Science are also taught here. It also offers an undergraduate degree in technology and Postgraduate Diploma degree in fashion designing. The University receives financial assistance from the University Grants Commission. The University has also ventured with foreign research institute like Abudus Salam International Center for the theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy). The Faculty members of the university visit the center in connection with their researches.

The University is rapidly progressing with the motive to excel and improve quality in academics.