The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, became a College of Advanced Technology in 1956 and gained university status in 1967, following the Robbins Report into higher education.

[3] The Royal Technical Institute received royal letters after the then-Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) officiated at its opening ceremony, an event commemorated in the university's Redbrick Peel Building and which allowed 'Royal' to be appended to the name of the institute.

At the start of the 20th century, mechanical engineering, chemical works, textiles and construction dominated the industrial scene in Salford.

In 1963, the government completed an inquiry into the state of higher education in the United Kingdom and produced the Robbins Report, which paved the way for the Royal College of Advanced Technology (and other Colleges of Advanced Technology) to assume university status by Royal Charter.

[citation needed] In 2012, the University of Salford announced a partnership with the UK's biggest arms company, (BAE Systems), and four other universities in northwestern England (Liverpool, Manchester, UCLAN and Lancaster) in order to work on the Gamma Programme, which aims to develop "autonomous systems".

[5] A former president of the Students' Union described Salford in 2007 as "a relaxed campus close to Manchester, but cheaper and greener.

The Salford Museum and Art Gallery, said to be the first unconditionally free public library in England,[7][8] is located on the Peel Park Campus.

[10] The university embarked on a £150 million programme of investment in 2004, to deliver new buildings and carry out major refurbishment projects.

[13] An extension to the existing Newton Building, which houses the School of Computing, Science and Engineering, was awarded planning permission in May 2016.

Plans for the extension were put on hold in favour of a wider campus redesign, with the possibility of a brand new building to house teaching and laboratory facilities for a range of disciplines in Science, Engineering and Environment.

Peel Hall has seating for nearly 400 people, hosts many musical performances and is the main venue for the midday recitals.

At the heart of the Peel Park Campus, the Chapman Gallery hosts a wide range of modern and contemporary art exhibitions that showcase the work of up and coming artists, university staff, students and the community of Salford.

It contains a gym, 25m swimming pool, sauna and spa, squash courts, climbing wall, and a multi-use sports hall.

[19] The university was organised into seven schools:[20] After a series of mergers, in 2018 and 2019, the university is now organised into four schools:[20] International students come from China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Greece, Nigeria, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Malaysia and Bulgaria.

In October 2008 it was announced that compulsory redundancies were likely at the university, as part of a plan to save £12.5 million over three years.

The notice went on to say that these additional costs came in the context of a number of pressures: salary bills that had "exceeded the university's expectations"; a "serious problem" with student retention; the "credit crunch"; and three "seriously underperforming" schools.

There are five self-catered halls of residence: Peel Park Quarter encompasses nine buildings of flats owned by Campus Living Villages, comprising a total of 1,367 rooms.

The flats are the closest accommodation to Salford Shopping City in Pendleton – colloquially referred to as the Precinct.

Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts were sold by the University of Salford to Campus Living Villages in December 2008.

This accommodation was in the centre of the main university campus, close to the Students' Union shop, a bank and Salford Crescent railway station.

This accommodation site consists of a square of houses around a central reception, lounge, and laundry building, with an independent gym.

In October 2019, the university hosted a two-week festival on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, with the theme, 'belonging at Salford'.

As part of this, a one-day symposium featured keynote speaker, Nicola Rollock, a leading figures with a vision for equality, diversity and inclusion.