Mount Royal University was founded in 1910 following a charter by the Alberta provincial government. Mount Royal became a post-secondary institution in 1931 as Mount Royal Junior College (MRC) offering transfer courses to the University of Alberta and later to the University of Calgary. In 1972 Mount Royal moved from several buildings in downtown Calgary to a new campus in Lincoln Park on land previously used as an air force base. A war memorial honour roll is dedicated to Mount Royal alumni who have volunteered for active service in the Canadian Forces

Mount Royal University was granted university status in 2009 by the provincial government. The university currently offers 12 degrees and 32 majors with an average class size of 29 students.

In 2017, Mount Royal University was awarded the Ashoka Changemaker Campus designation joining 44 universities which are leading higher education in the area of social innovation and change making.