[5] Founded in 1898 as an industrial school, the institution developed into a four-year university during the twentieth century and became known by its present name in 1999.

Lafayette's offer—the tax proceeds, $18,000 in cash, and 25 acres of land just outside the city limits, donated by Crow and Maxim Girard—beat out New Iberia's 5–2 in a board vote on January 5, 1900.

The historic main campus area originally consisted of only 25 acres, and its boundaries were Johnston Street, University Avenue, what is now Hebrard Blvd and to approximately Lee Hall in the Quad.

The Quadrangle (Quad), which was completely renovated in 2015 (providing new walkways, landscaping and a fountain containing a 15-foot Fleur de Lis in its center), serves as the 'heart' of the university.

Some of the highlights of the Quad are: Located on the campus block bordered by Hebrard Blvd, University Ave and McKinley St, the original Rose Garden was surrounded by Baker-Huger, Randolph, Evangeline, and Bonin Halls, which were all female-only dormitories and designed by A. Hays Town and completed in 1950.

In 2012, and as part of the selling of its "Horse Farm" property to the city of Lafayette, the university acquired an additional 20 acres along the Johnston/Lewis St corridor when the Youth Park/Dog Park was added to the main campus.

More than 200 visiting artists from around the world participate for a week-long residency to work on their projects at Marais Press, a teaching and research hub.

Artists help train and mentor students, who get hands-on experience making lithographs, woodcuts, silkscreen, and etchings.

[22] Beginning in 2022, the University finalized the purchase of 2 separate properties that were formally used as Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center's location and consists of a total of approximately 25 acres.

[23] In the summer of 2022 UL finalized the purchase[24] of approximately 5.8 acres of land owned by the Diocese of Lafayette and which included several structures that were part of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center campus.

In the spring of 2023, the university finalized the purchase of approximately 19.2 acres that were formally used as the Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center campus.

[25] Starting with the purchase of the Whittington Farm property in 1936, the university added about 175 acres just south of the main campus, along Johnston St.

[34] It is the stated mission of UL's Strategic Plan to reach Carnegie Classification Research 1 status and surpassing the $100 million threshold is a major step in that direction.

[42] In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited the center for six potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) which the government alleges lead to the death of one monkey, injuries to another and the escape of five from their enclosure.

[43] In 2016, Project Chimps, a nonprofit organization, announced a partnership with NIRC to relocate 220 of the university's retired research chimpanzees to a sanctuary in northern Georgia.

In the 1960s, a group of liberal arts professors at the University of Southwestern Louisiana began publishing their works under the imprint USL History Series.

[59] Over the next few decades, the center's publications grew to include scholarship beyond the university as well as new genres, such as children's books, photography, poetry, and fiction.

[60] The Press welcomes submissions of manuscripts pertaining to all facets of Louisiana's history, culture, art, society, politics, economics, religion, ethnicities, and environment.

[61] The Louisiana Ragin' Cajun teams participate in NCAA Division I (FBS for football) in the Sun Belt Conference.

[65] In recent years, Ragin' Cajuns football has been on the rise, becoming nationally ranked during the 2020 and 2021 seasons with Billy Napier at the helm of the program.

The final male-only dorm, Stokes Hall, was demolished in 2016, with the long-term plan of expanding Legacy Park into the area.

[71] Following the completion of Heritage, as well as Rose Garden and Taft Street complexes, the university could house close to 5,000 students on campus, achieving a goal set in the school's master plan as of 2020.