The institution was founded as the Estudio General de Navarra on October 17, 1952 with the encouragement of Josemaría Escrivá.
After the foundation of the Faculty of Philosophy in 1955 and the Business School, IESE, in 1958, the Estudio General de Navarra was established as a university by The Holy See on August 6, 1960, and Escrivá was designated as the Great Chancellor.