In 1728, the mayor of Nantes, Gérard Mellier, asked that the university be moved to Rennes, which was more trade orientated already had the Parliament of Brittany.

Those 3 faculties remained without clear boundaries between them until 1885 with the creation of a "Conseil des facultés" which took in 1896 the name of University of Rennes.

In the middle of the 19th century, they were gathered in the Palais Universitaire, located currently in the Quai Émile Zola, but were then scattered downtown.

Beaulieu is the home of more than a dozen science buildings (for the Faculties of mathematics, physics, biology and other schools such as the INSA) and one of philosophy.

Rennes I University's Faculty of Medicine is located on the edge of this Villejean campus, nearby Brittany's largest hospital center, Pontchaillou.

There are other sites in Lannion, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, Fougères and Dinard; some research centers in Monterfil, Paimpont and the isle of Bailleron; and a museum owned by the university in Penmarch.