The University of Okara traces its history back to 2005 when the Okara campus of the University of Education, Lahore, was inaugurated by Rao Sikandar Iqbal, the former Minister of Defence for Pakistan.
In February 2016, the Provincial Assembly of Punjab passed the 'University of Okara Bill 2016,' elevating the Okara campus to the University of Okara. The university is located in Renala Khurd, a growing city in the Okara District of Punjab, Pakistan.
Academically, the university consists of six faculties: computing, management and social sciences, life sciences, sciences, education, and health sciences. Each faculty houses various departments offering a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programmes.
There are also the Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences and its three departments: Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, and Sustainability.
Research is a key element of the university's activities, with staff and students engaged in innovative research projects throughout the year.
Central to the university's values are holistic student training, lifelong learning, critical thinking, excellence pursuit, knowledge generation, and global engagement and diversity promotion.