The university was established on 12 June 1964, with Shri O. Pulla Reddy, I.C.S (retired) as the first vice-chancellor. It was formally inaugurated on 20 March 1965, by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then Prime Minister of India. Another milestone was the inauguration of the building programme of the university by Smt Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India on 23 June 1966.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University Act, 1963, Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Hyderabad (affiliated to Osmania University), Agricultural College, Bapatala (affiliated to Andhra University), Sri Venkateswara Agricultural College and Andhra Veterinary College, Tiruapti (affiliated to Sri Venkateswara University) were transferred to the new university in June 1964. About 41 agricultural research stations and four research stations were transferred to the university in July 1966 and May 1967, respectively.
The university was renamed as Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University on 7 November 1996 in honour and memory of parliamentarian Acharya N. G. Ranga, who rendered service for the cause of farmers and is regarded as an outstanding educationist, kisan leader and freedom fighter. A life-size bronze statue of Ranga was unveiled by His Excellency C. Ranagarajan, the governor of Andhra Pradesh, on 7 November 1998 at the main campus.