The University of Žilina was established on 1 October 1953 as the College of Railways in Prague. In 1959, the institution changed its name to the University of Transport and moved to Žilina. As a result of the increasing role of communications within the curriculum and research orientation of the university, the name was amended to the University of Transport and Communications in 1980. It was renamed again to the University of Žilina pursuant to the law passed by the Slovak National Council on 20 November 1996.