The present institution dates from August 2007, following the merger of the University of Paisley with Bell College, Hamilton.

The Crichton Campus in Dumfries is maintained in partnership with a number of other institutions, including the University of Glasgow.

[8] The design was the winner of an architectural competition and partially funded by local industrialists (Peter Brough and Thomas Coats both contributed).

By the start of the twentieth century, Paisley Technical College and School of Art, (as it was known from 1904) was a centre for teaching the University of London External Programme.

In the 1960s a large physical expansion took place alongside the Neo-Classical original building on the main 20 acre (81,000 m2) Paisley town centre site.

[2] At the time Paisley, in common with other Central Institutions and the former Polytechnics, already offered a range of degrees under the Council for National Academic Awards.

On 30 November 2007, the Privy Council approved the name University of the West of Scotland for the merged institution.

[10] The name change was resisted by many in Paisley, seeing it as a break with tradition and the connections binding the previous university to the town.

The 'Keep It Paisley' campaign attracted a number of supporters, amongst them local MP and then Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander.

[12][13] The university reported a cyber incident that happened in July 2023 which affected its' systems and staff data.

The hacking group Rhysida put the stolen information which reportedly contained staff's personal details and internal university documents.

[9] The campus was constructed at a cost of £81 million, and provides the Ayrshire region of Scotland with "one of the UK's most modern, environmentally friendly and sustainable higher education learning facilities".

[17] Following extensive consultation with the local authority, stakeholders, students and staff about the future of the Hamilton campus, UWS announced plans to relocate to the new UWS Lanarkshire Campus at Hamilton International Technology Park (HITP), within the neighbouring town of Blantyre, off the A725 bypass road near to West Craigs.

Established in 1999 to provide a hub for higher education in the south-west of Scotland, the Crichton Campus has helped the regeneration of the Dumfries and Galloway economy.

[24] It was launched in March 2016 and provides UWS degree and postgraduate programmes to the international student population in London.

It also carries out research and consultancy work for industry, and is ranked second in Scotland for the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with businesses.

Many courses at the University of the West of Scotland have an emphasis on vocational skills and offer students the option of spending a year working in industry at home or abroad.

[39] SAUWS operates Union bars at their Paisley and Ayr locations, where they host various events and activities including quiz nights and karaoke.

There are a large number of varied clubs, including Aikido, Basketball, Curling and Snowsports who regularly compete in BUCS and Scottish Student Sport competitions.

According to the Scottish Daily Record, it is rumoured that South Ayrshire Council is considering giving the dated Dam Park Stadium, the venue for UWS-SRUC-Ayrshire College Varsity, to the university saving nearly £70,000.