USAS history started back in 1999, which reflects a brilliant transformation from a college to a full university status.

The Darul Ridzuan Islamic College (KISDAR) was established under the control of Islamic Religious Schools Enactment 1996. KISDAR was established at the behest of His Royal Highness the late Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah in 1986. It was later realised in 1999 with its temporary campus located in Jalan Dato’ Seri Shaari, Off Jalan Raja DiHilir, Ipoh and officiated by His Royal Highness the late Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah on October 16, 1999. KISDAR was established under the Enactment No. 3 Year 2000, Perak Darul Ridzuan State Government Enactment. The enactment was tabled and approved by the Perak State Council on November 19, 2001 and was granted by His Royal Highness the late Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah on March 6, 2002.

On February 8, 2006, the Perak State Government had approved the construction of KISDAR’s permanent campus on a 50-acre land, conferred by the Acting Sultan of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah as “waqf” at Chandan Putri, Kuala Kangsar. The construction of the permanent campus at a cost of RM 66 million was completed in 2008. On July 16, 2009, His Royal Highness the late Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah officiated the permanent campus of KISDAR.

KISDAR was then upgraded to a university college, known as Sultan Azlan Shah Islamic University College (KUISAS) and registered under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) on March 4, 2013. Three years later, on June 10, 2016, the Prime Minister of Malaysia had proclaimed KUISAS a full-fledged university with immediate effect. Subsequently, Sultan Azlan Shah University (USAS) was formally established on June 15, 2016.