[4] Robert Morris University originated in 1921 as the Pittsburgh School of Accountancy, founded by Andrew Blass using a curriculum similar to what he had overseen as dean of the Pace Institute in Washington, D.C.[5] His successor, C.W.

"[6] In 1942, the Robert Morris School moved to the William Penn Hotel to accommodate its growing enrollment, and in 1959 purchased its own Downtown building at 600 Fifth Ave.[6] In 1962 the school purchased Pine Hill Manor and Farm in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, formerly the home of Oliver Kaufmann, vice president of Kaufmann's department store in Pittsburgh, his wife, Freda, and their children.

The university offers training in additive manufacturing at a 3D printing lab and classroom in the Energy Innovation Center in the Lower Hill District.

[18] RMU was the first university in Pennsylvania to join the Amazon Web Service Academy and offer cloud computing certification curriculum.

[21] To support students from underrepresented groups who want to pursue careers in technology or math, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings made a $3 million gift in January 2021 to fund 20 full scholarships for RMU Next Century Scholars.

The Colonial Theatre program stages several productions annually, including some that have won honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Students field 17 club sports teams including ice hockey, bowling, rugby and golf.

The student-run RMU Sentry Media website includes news and feature stories as well as programming from RMU-TV and RMU-Radio.

[31] Robert Morris' sports teams, nicknamed "the Colonials", wear the school colors of blue, white, and red.

Men's teams are basketball, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, cross country, and soccer.

Women's teams are basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball.