The campus is situated on 50 ha (120 acres) of land located about 15 km (9 mi) outside the city of Christchurch, in Lincoln, Canterbury.

The teaching staff included the head of the school William Ivey (who taught agriculture), George Gray (Chemistry and Physics), who remained on staff until 1915, Eric Manley Clarke (mathematics, surveying, and book-keeping; son of the English geodesist Alexander Ross Clarke),[7] and part-time lecturer Thomas Hill (Veterinary Science).

[6][8] The 660 acres (270 ha) college farm was worked by the students, who took part in ploughing, milking, and stock management, as well as taking lectures on agricultural science and chemistry.

[6] From 1896 to 1961 it served students under the name Canterbury Agricultural College, and offered qualifications of the University of New Zealand until that institution's demise.

[10] In March 2009, the Crown Research Institute AgResearch announced that it planned to merge with Lincoln University.

The following chairmen and chancellors have served:[19] † denotes that the person died in office Lincoln University Students' Association (LUSA) has been active on campus since 1919.

Lincoln ranks in the top 50 in the fields of Agriculture and Forestry (39th), and also Hospitality and Leisure Management (48th).