The roots of the campus date back to 1907 when the California State Legislature established the Citrus Experiment Station to conduct research on the agricultural problems of Southern California. Graduate work was conducted early in the station's history, and today, graduate education is central to its mission. In 1948 the Regents approved the establishment of the College of Letters and Science. Necessary legislation was passed by the Academic Senate in 1951, and the college opened for classes in February 1954. The Riverside campus was declared a general campus by act of the Regents in 1959,with a mandate to develop appropriate areas of study. In 1960, the Graduate Division was established, and graduate and professional programs were added.

　　校园的起源可以追溯到1907年，当时加利福尼亚州议会设立了柑橘实验站，以开展南加州农业问题的研究。研究生教育在电台早期就开展，如今研究生教育已成为其使命的核心。1948年，董事会批准成立文理学院。1951年，学术参议院通过了必要的立法，学院于1954年2月开始上课。1959年，河滨校区被董事会立法宣布为普通校区,并授权其拓展相应学科领域。1960年，研究生院成立，研究生及专业课程体系随之建立。