Founded in 2002, as a partnership among twelve multi-faculty research universities, in 2024 it expanded its membership to twenty-four.

As the latest addition, ETH Zurich joined the alliance on 1 January 2024.

The purpose of the League is to influence policy in Europe and to develop best practice through mutual exchange of experience.

LERU regularly publishes a variety of papers and reports which make high-level policy statements, provide analyses and make recommendations for policymakers, universities, researchers and other stakeholders.

Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, one of the 12 founding member of the LERU, voluntarily left the group in March 2011.