The Temple of Learning Lalit Narayan Mithila Vishvidyalaya, Darbhanga is an outcome of the cherished desire of the people of this region. Eminent academicians like Dr. Amarnatha Jha, Dr. R.C. Mazumdar, Dr. A. S. Altekar, Dr. Sunit Kumar Chaterjee and many others had expressed their view in favour of the establishment of modern University at Darbhanga. The demand was voiced time and again on the floors of the state legislatures and in the Parliament. On the 27th January, 1947 (Vasantpanchami Day) at a meeting of some of the leading citizens of Darbhanga and Laheriasarai, the Mithila University committee was constituted with Dr. Amarnatha Jha as the President and Pandit Harinath Mishra as the General Secretary.

The year - 1968 may be regarded as a landmark year in the history of the University when a UGC team visited Darbhanga in order to explore the possibility of establishing a multi faculty University here. Subsequently State Government set up a committee to examine the administrative and academic structure of a modern University at Darbhanga, following the recommendations made by the visiting team of the U.G.C.

The Government of India constituted another committee consisting of Sri T. P. Singh, Secretary Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Sri. R. K. Chhabra, secretary, U.G.C. and Sri N. D. J. Rao, Education Commissioner, Bihar, to look into the matter of establishing a University at Darbhanga. They reported that the establishment of a separate and independent University at Darbhanga could be considered on merit.

Consequent upon the report of the above mentioned committee and considering the socio-economic background of the region, the Mithila University with headquarters at Darbhanga was established by an ordinance, in 1972 carving out colleges at Darbhanga division and Kosi division from the then two Universities - Bihar University, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur respectively.

After the sad demise of Pt. Lalit Narayan Mishra in January, 1975, the name of Mithila University was amended as Lalit Narayan Mithila University. But it was soon reversed to the original name through an ordinance. However in 1980, the name Lalit Narayan Mithila University was restored through an ordinance.

The colleges of Kosi Division which were initially attached to this University in 1972 were transferred to newly established B. N. Mandal University, Laloonagar, Madhepura, with vertical separation of the assets and liabilities with effect from 10.01.2025