The history of Nanjing Normal University can be traced back to Sanjiang Normal Institute, which was established by Zhang Zhidong, Governor-General of Jiangsu and Jiangxi, in 1902. It was renamed Liangjiang Excellent Normal Institute in 1905, and evolved into National Nanjing Higher Normal School in 1914. In 1920, National Southeast University was established on the basis of disciplines of National Nanjing Higher Normal School, and in 1923, National Nanjing Higher Normal School merged into it. In 1927, National Southeast University, Hehai Engineering University, and other six national schools of professional college lever or above, integrated into the Fourth Zhongshan University. It was renamed Jiangsu University, then National Zhongyang University, and evolved into National Nanjing University, which turned out to be Najing University in 1950. The other source of Nanjing Normal University is Huiwen Academy established in 1888. In 1910, Huiwen Academy and Hongyu Academy merged into Private Jinling University. In 1951, Private Jinling University and Private Jinling Women Arts and Science College, which was established in 1913 and renamed Jingling Women University in 1914, integrated to National Jinling University.
 
When the national adjustment of higher education took place in 1952, based on the normal school of Nanjing University, the educational department and the children well-being department of Jinling University, as well as other relative departments and colleges, such as the nursery specialty of Shanghai Zhendan University, the children well-being group of the social well-being department in Guangzhou Lingnan University and the science class of Nanjing Normal School integrated into Nanjing Normal College, which was set up on the former site of the  Jinling Women Arts and Science College. In January 1984, it was named Nanjing Normal University, and entered the national construction of key universities under the ?11 project? In March 2000, Nanjing Dynamics Higher Professional College merged into the university. At present, Nanjing Normal University has been striving to set up a comprehensive university well-known for the educational and scientific research.