Ranchi University was set up on 12th July 1960 with its campus in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. It is a teaching and an affiliating University and its territorial jurisdiction extends over the districts of Ranchi, Palamau, East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Gumla, Garhwa, Chatra, Latehar, Simdega and Seraikela-Kharswan. The sole objective of the University is to promote higher education in the region. Other than offering courses on conventional subjects, the University also offers several vocational courses.

The University also takes special care of the less privileged students and conducts special coaching classes to prepare them for competitive exams. Along with academics, the University pays special attention in cultural and sports activities. Ranchi University has thirty-five constituent colleges and twenty-nine affiliated colleges under its wing. The affiliated and the constituent colleges offer courses in Medical, Engineering, Management, Science, Arts and Law. The University has four faculties, which is organized into twenty- four departments.

The Faculty of Social Science heads the departments of Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Home Science, Philosophy, Jyotir Vigyan, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. The Faculty of Science consists of the Departments of Hindi, Journalism, English, Bangla, R/T language, Sanskrit and Urdu. The Faculty of Science controls the department of Mathematics, Physics, Botany, Chemistry, Zoology and Geology. The Faculty of Commerce has only one department, which is the Commerce and Business Management Department.