The university emblem was newly established on the occasion of the merger of three prefectural universities into Osaka Prefecture University on April 1, 2005.
The design based on ginkgo, a prefectural tree of Osaka was selected from 566 entries at a competition. The three ginkgo leaves represent the merger of three universities into a new entity, symbolizing the tradition of each university and future development of Osaka Prefecture University. Ultramarine blue represents a vibrant center of knowledge and learning, a feature which OPU is renowned for.