Aston University has its origins in the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, established in 1895. In 1956, Aston University became the first designated College of Advanced Technology, and in 1966 received its Charter as a university.
In 1982, Aston University established the Aston Science Park, which is now home to 100 companies.
In the late 1980's, work started on a comprehensive physical development programme to transform the Aston University site, making it now "an amazingly green campus, right smack in the middle of Birmingham" (The Independent on Sunday).
In 2005 a new state-of-the-art campus network was installed at Aston University, capable of running data, telephony and video systems over the same cabling and integrated technology structure.