The history of the precedent colleges of Naniwa University (NU) is as follows: In 1883, the prefectural government founded the Veterinary Training Institute (獣医学講習所, Jūigaku kōshūjo) attached to Osaka Prefectural Medical School.

This prefectural college, together with Osaka Agricultural College (大阪農業専門学校, established in 1944 in Ikeda), constituted NU Faculty of Agriculture (now OPU Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences/School of Life and Environmental Sciences).

Still other origin was established as Osaka Youth Normal School (a national college: 官立大阪青年師範学校) in 1944.

The Junior College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture (大阪府立大学農業短期大学部, Osaka Furitsu Daigaku Nogyo Tanki Daigakubu) was a junior college in Mihara-ku, Sakai.

The campus (abolished in March 2007) was next to Daisen-kofun (supposed to be the tomb of Emperor Nintoku).

OPU has one of the largest campus areas in Japan, and it has a very nice relaxing atmosphere especially in the parks where children often come to play during holidays.

Every year, in this festival there are many booths and four stages for some events, where famous singers and artists are invited to perform.

OPU has facilities such as library, U Function hall and grassy areas where people can have picnics, so in weekdays most students enter the university through those gates in order to take lessons, and in the weekends, people who live near OPU enter through those gates in order to play or just walk around in the parks inside of the university.