HiOA was established in 2011 following the merger of Oslo University College and Akershus University College, which were themselves the results of many previous mergers. In 2014 the Work Research Institute and Norwegian Social Research were also merged into the institution, and from 2016 it also incorporates the Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research and the National Institute for Consumer Research. Most of the university college is located in the city centre of Oslo along the Pilestredet street, with subsidiary campuses in Sandvika and Kjeller in Akershus.