She specified in her will that the school should be expanded after her death to include a classical education as well as industrial arts and home economics.

Mrs. Bradley provided 17.5 acres (71,000 m2) of land, $170,000 for buildings, equipment, and a library, and $30,000 per year for operating expenses.

[4] Fourteen faculty and 150 students began classes in Bradley Hall on October 4, 1897 with construction workers still onsite.

By 1899 the institute had expanded to accommodate nearly 500 pupils, and study fields included biology, chemistry, food work, sewing, English, German, French, Latin, Greek, history, manual arts, drawing, mathematics, and physics.

Bradley's student housing is concentrated on the campus's east side; there are several residence halls and university-owned apartment complexes.

The Markin Family Student Recreation Center, completed in 2008, houses a variety of sports and fitness areas.

Bradley University is organized into the following colleges and schools: Students without a declared major may also be admitted to the Academic Exploration Program (AEP).

[16] The university is also home to the Charley Steiner School of Sports Communication, the first such named school in the U.S.[17] Bradley University offers Masters level graduate degrees in business, communication and fine arts, education and health sciences, engineering, and liberal arts and sciences.

Students living in the residence halls on campus pay an additional $12,850 for room and board, along with a $432 activity and health fee.

In 2003, Bradley University student and member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, Robert Schmalz (age 22), died after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol continuously over several days.

His death stood in particularly stark contrast to the award that Bradley administrators had accepted in Washington, DC that same month, in recognition of the university's alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs, which was portrayed to the nation as being exemplary.

Conference-approved sports at Bradley for men are baseball, basketball, cross-country running, golf, indoor and outdoor track, and soccer.

Women's sports consist of basketball, cross-country running, golf, indoor and outdoor track, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

As of the spring semester of 2024, Bradley University's Esports teams also joined the conference to compete in Overwatch 2 and Rocket League.

After finishing the regular season with a record of 32–18, the Braves advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship game by defeating Evansville, Indiana State, and #11 nationally ranked Dallas Baptist and were ultimately defeated by #8 nationally ranked Missouri State 5–2.

When the Braves earned a 9–4 victory over Morehead State, they snapped a streak of 9 straight losses in NCAA postseason play dating back to the third round of the College World Series in 1956 when they defeated Wyoming 12–8.

At the same event, Bradley's Rocket League team lost to Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the semi-finals.