The University of Ajmer was established on 1 August 1987. Its name was changed from University of Ajmer to Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer vide Rajasthan State Gazette dated 5 May 1992. The University was registered in the year 1993 under section 12(B) of U.G.C.Act, 1956.
Since the day of its inception the University was entrusted with a major responsibility of conducting the examination of nearly 1.5 lakh students of colleges spread over the six divisions of the state. In 1990 teaching began in History, Political science, zoology, botany and mathematics departments. In 1991, M. Phil, teaching programmers were initiated by History, Political Science, Botany departments and later promising job oriented courses such as PG diplomas in Environmental Technology, Microbiology and lab. Technology and instrumentation were started. In 1993, after shifting to new campus, departments of microbiology, foods and nutrition, applied chemistry, management studies and computer applications were created offering M. Sc., MBA, PG Diploma and Ph. D. programmers.
In a short span of seven years academic wing of University came out with enormous research work in the form of publications, Ph. D. thesis and research projects. In 1998 university started PG programmed in Environmental Science, and in 2000 PG programmes in Botany Zoology, Business Economics, Commerce, Population Studies, History, Political Science and Computer Science with specializations that did not exist other colleges in Ajmer.
At present there are 15 teaching departments viz. History, Political Science, Economics, Botany, Zoology, Pure and Applied Chemistry, Environmental studies, Remote Sensing, Foods and Nutrition, Microbiology, Computer Applications, Population Studies, Commerce and Management Studies. There are 89 Government and Private colleges affiliated to this University. These affiliated colleges are spread over 9 districts of the state of Rajasthan. Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer is a B++ rated university. The University has its own beautiful campus. It is situated near the Ghooghra village on the Pushkar bye pass, Jaipur Road (NH-8). It is seven kilometers from the city of Ajmer

Vice Chancellor: Professor M.L. Chippa
Registrar: Dr. Bhagwati P. Saraswat