On 1 October 1969, the university began operating as a "facility for the vocational rehabilitation of people with disabilities in tertiary education". In 1991, the Fachhochschule for private customers was opened. Since then, the share of students with disabilities has declined to about 5%
In 2007, the university was renamed SRH Heidelberg University of Applied Sciences - SRH Hochschulen gGmbH, a state-recognized university, and in 2009 institutional re-accreditation by the Science Council took place. However, it was criticized in this context that the "carrier company [...] would have far-reaching opportunities for influencing the university" and that "the academic core area of the university [...] must be given greater autonomy".