Lodge matriculated at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1874, graduating with a B.A. in 1877, and becoming a Fellow of Brasenose College in 1878. He was Professor of History at the University of Glasgow from 1894 to 1899, and then Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh from 1899 to 1925.
The academic career of Lodge began when he enrolled at Balliol College, Oxford, in 1874, earning a B.A. in 1877 and becoming a Fellow of Brasenose College in 1878. He held the position of Professor of History at the University of Glasgow from 1894 to 1899, followed by a tenure as Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh from 1899 to 1925.