The University of La Verne can trace its beginning to 1891 when members of the Church of the Brethren, moving west to California, founded Lordsburg College in the city of La Verne, California, near the eastern edge of Los Angeles County. When the surrounding agricultural community of Lordsburg was renamed to La Verne in 1917, the institution followed suit and La Verne College was established. Recognized as an outstanding provider of teacher education, the college saw its campus, curriculum and student body grow to meet the expanding higher educational needs of the region. While in time the Board of Trustees became independent of church control, the college never lost its commitment to service or its dedication to sound, people-centered, values-oriented education. Accredited by the Western College Association in 1955, the college continued to expand, awarding its first master's degree in 1965 and conferring its first doctorate in 1979.

In 1969 the college began offering degree programs at off-campus locations, and the following year opened its College of Law. Reflecting decades of profound changes in size and scope, the college reorganized as the University of La Verne in 1977. Seeking to expand and advance service to students throughout the region, in 1981 the university founded its Orange County campus. Additional campuses followed in the San Fernando Valley, Ventura, San Bernardino/Riverside, Kern County, San Luis Obispo and the High Desert. Combined with innovative online program offerings, the university continues its educational mission into the 21st century.