Ruyton was established in 1878 by its first principal, Charlotte Anderson, who named it in honour of the parish in Shropshire, England, Ruyton-XI-Towns, where her great-great-grandfather David Evans had been vicar.

[3] Its motto is Recte et Fideliter, meaning "Upright and Faithful", which is also the name of the school song.

In 2008, Ruyton was ranked second in the state of Victoria based on its VCE results, with 40% of study scores over 40.

Ruyton also hosts the inter-school Performing Arts House Festival (PAHF), the Alan Patterson Prize for Public Speaking, the Suzanne Northey Award for Public Speaking and the Isobelle Carmody Award for Creative Writing.

Another of Ruyton's features is its international program, providing international opportunities and student exchange visits through the Sister School Network, a regime created in 1989 that has expanded over the years to include 16 schools throughout Canada, Taiwan, China, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and South Africa.

The program consists of an educational and challenging camp, which visits various parts of Australia, depending on the year level.

Girls from Prep to Year 12 are divided into four houses, each named after a former Principal of Ruyton – Anderson (red), Bromby (navy), Daniell (sky blue), and Lascelles (white).