The history of Ritsumeikan dates back to 1869 when Prince Kinmochi Saionji, an eminent international statesman of modern Japan, founded "Ritsumeikan" as a private academy on the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. In 1900, Kojuro Nakagawa, former secretary of Prince Saionji, established Kyoto Hosei School, an evening law school that was open to working people. This school formally adopted the name Ritsumeikan in 1913 and was finally given the status of a university in 1922.

The school spirit of liberalism and internationalism advocated by Prince Saionji was combined with the ideals of academic freedom and vivacity pursued by Kojuro Nakagawa, and became a tradition of the university. This tradition also survived the intense suppression of the prewar days, as evidenced by the fact that Ritsumeikan University accepted seventeen professors who were forced by the government to leave Kyoto Imperial University for their pacifist activities.

Today, Ritsumeikan University offers a wide range of courses in advanced studies at its Kinugasa Campus in Kyoto, Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) in Shiga and Osaka-Ibaraki Campus (OIC) in Osaka. The year 2000 marked the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Ritsumeikan private school and the 100th year of the establishment of Ritsumeikan University. In April 2000, the 100th anniversary of its establishment, Ritsumeikan opened an international educational institution, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Oita prefecture. The addition of APU has given new momentum to Ritsumeikan as it continues to adhere to its founding spirit into the 21st century. Over the century, the Ritsumeikan Trust has evolved into a comprehensive educational institution consisting of two universities, four senior high schools, four junior high schools and one primary school.