The School of Planning and Architecture had a humble start in 1941 as a Department of Architecture of Delhi Polytechnic. It was later subsidiary to the University of Delhi and incorporated with the School of Town and Country Planning which was built up in 1955 by the Government of India to give offices to rustic, urban and provincial arranging. On incorporation, the School was renamed as School of Planning and Architecture in 1959. 

Perceiving the particular idea of the fields wherein the School had accomplished greatness, in 1979, the Government of India, through the then Ministry of Education and Culture, gave on the School of Planning and Architecture the status of "Regarded to be a University". With this new status, the School had expanded its viewpoint by presenting new scholarly and augmentation projects and advancing examination and consultancy exercises. It was perceived as "An Institute of National Importance under an Act of Parliament" in 2015. 

The School is a specific University, just one of its sorts, which only gives preparing at different levels, in various parts of human natural surroundings and condition. The School has taken lead in presenting scholarly projects in specific fields both at Bachelor's and Master's level, some of which are even today not accessible somewhere else in India. The School, in taking a stab at greatness, has consistently been ahead of the pack in stretching out instruction and research to new boondocks of learning. Human living space and condition being the fundamental worry of the School, the range of scholastic projects is in effect ceaselessly reached out by giving projects in new fields and developing zones for which offices are not accessible, so far, anyplace else in the nation.