In March 1946 Don Salvador Z. Araneta, former Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, established the Araneta Institute of Agriculture (AIA) in a 63 hectare farm in San Jose Del Monte, Ciudad Real, Bulacan. It will later be known as Salikneta, short for Saliksik sa Araneta [Research in Araneta].

A year later the Institute was transferred to Malabon becoming Araneta University(AU), then Araneta-University Foundation(AUF), and in 1978 was renamed the Greogorio Araneta University Foundation(GAUF).

The University was integrated with the De La Salle System in 1987 and became an official member of the System in 2002. Henceforth, it has been renamed the De La Salle Araneta University (DLSAU).