It was supported in its initiative by the professors of Valparaíso Emilio Muñoz Mena, Juan Montedónico Napoli and Pedro Contreras Valderrama, among others.

Due to the request of its director and the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Education of the University of Chile, Mr. Eugenio Pererira Salas, Decree No.

This document was signed by the President of the Republic, Mr. Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, and his Minister of Education, Mr. Tobías Barros Ortiz.

In 2012 two multipurpose domes were acquired, one located in the Patio de los Vientos, next to the Faculty of Arts, and the other in the San Felipe Campus.

In October 2014, with 71.5% of the votes in a trystman plebiscite, the elimination of the Board of Directors and the creation of a University Senate, which represents the three estates, students, officials and academics, is approved.

The emblem of the Playa Ancha University is a lighthouse illuminating both sectors with a lone star leading the way (in reference to being at night).

The Playa Ancha University has 36 undergraduate degrees in Valparaiso (of which 3 are dual day and evening courses) and 6 in San Felipe.

Oscar Guzmán Escobar (1948–1955) [Private] Milton Rossel Acuña (1955–1957) Juan Uribe Echevarría (1957–1961) Rodolfo Iturriaga Jamett (1961–1965) Carlos Pantoja Gómez (1965–1969) Raúl Páez Boggioni (1969–1972) Marcelo Blanc Masías (1972–1973) Victor Leighton Gonzalez (1973–1975) Olga Arellano Salgado (1976–1981) Olga Arellano Salgado (1981–1987) Mariana Martelli Ukrow (1987–1990) Norman Cortés Larreau (1990–1998) Oscar Quiroz Mejías (1998–2006) Patricio Sanhueza Vivanco (2006–2026)