Originally established in 1969, it was granted full university status in 1975 and is one of Sweden's largest academic institutions.

To facilitate interdisciplinary work, there are 12 large departments combining knowledge from several disciplines and often belonging under more than one faculty.

[7] Linköping University emphasizes dialogue with the surrounding business sphere and the community at large, both in terms of research and education.

In 1965, The Swedish National Legislative Assembly (Riksdag) decided to locate some programmes within the fields of technology and medicine to Linköping.

Two years later in 1969, a unit for medical training and the Institute of Technology were established, marking the founding of the university.

After almost 60 years at the city centre, in 2009 the school moved into new premises in Lidingö, on the outskirts of Stockholm.

[18] Linköping University pursues research and postgraduate studies within the fields of technology, medicine, and humanities, natural, educational, social and behavioural sciences.

[30] In the 2022 THE ranking, Linköping University places in the top 125 in the following broad categories: Engineering & Technology 101–125, Business & Economics 101–125 and Psychology 101–125.

[34] In 2023, LEAD was selected as a Sweden's incubator in NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).

As of 2023, Linköping Science Park hosts approximately 600 companies, from start-ups to multinationals, with a total of 14,000 employees.

The largest residents are Ericsson, IFS, Infor, Sectra, Combitech, Releasy and CGI Group.

Major multinationals such as ARRIS Group, Flextronics, Autoliv, Toyota Industries and Beyond Gravity are also represented.