The University began with three Schools: Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences - but as facilities developed and needs were recognised new Schools were added: Law (1967), Engineering (1969), Medicine (1970), Agricultural Sciences (1971), Mines (1973), Business and Industrial Studies (1978, at Ndola Campus), Environmental Studies (1981, at Ndola Campus), and Veterinary Medicine (1983).
In its first academic year the University enrolled 312 students. The numbers rose to over 1 000 in 1970 and ten years later stood at over 4 000. It was envisaged that eventually the total enrolment would level off at about 8 000 students. Current enrollment stands at 11500. Since such a number could not be accommodated, academically or residentially at the main campus in Lusaka, it was decided in 1975 that the University would be developed on a federal basis and that it would comprise three constituent institutions, one at Lusaka, one at Ndola the third at Solwezi in the North-Western Province. A new University of Zambia Act that came into operation in 1979 provided a definitive constitution for this federal structure. In anticipation of this development, and in response to the need to provide University training in the fields of accountancy and business administration, the University at Ndola opened in July 1978 with the establishment of a School of Business and Industrial Studies. The new Constituent Institution of the University of Zambia was accommodated at the Riverside Campus of the Zambia Institute of Technology in Kitwe, where teaching and residential facilities were readily available. But it was intended that the stay in Kitwe would be only temporary while physical planning, the mobilisation of resources and initial construction process got under way at the permanent site that had been acquired in Ndola.
   However, in 1987 the Act that ushered in a federal structure for the University was reviewed and consequently it was decided to abolish the federal structure. Two Acts were passed establishing two autonomous universities, namely the University of Zambia and the Copperbelt University
Following the advent of the Third Republic in November 1991. Parliament passed the University Act No. 26 of 1992 which introduced important changes in the governance of the University. The 1992 Act provided for a titular chancellor appointed by the President from amongst distinguished persons nominated by the Minister of Education. Previously the President had been the Chancellor of the two universities.
 Mr. John M. Mwanakatwe SC, a distinguished educationist, lawyer and former politician, was installed on 27th November 1992 as the first Chancellor of the University of Zambia under the act. With the building of the School of Veterinary Medicine (1983) with the assistance of the Japanese Government, some student hostels were built within the agreement.
   In 1999, Parliament passed a new University ACT No. 11 of 1999, which provided for some major changes in the governance of the University of Zambia. It, for instance, vested the powers to appoint the University Council in the Minister of Education. It also reduced the tenure of office to the University Chancellor from Five to three years among other things.