Benue State University was established by the Benue State Government with the enactment of the Benue State University Edict No. 1 of 1991.
The University took off in the 1992/93 academic year with four faculties, namely, Arts, Education, Science and Social Sciences. Two Faculties, Law and Management Sciences came on stream in the 1993/94 academic year with Faculty of Enviromental Sciences in the 2014/2015 academic session.