The school originated from 195 1 Water Conservancy School of the Ministry of Water Resources of the Central People's Government founded in Beijing, and 1954 was renamed Beijing Water Conservancy School of the Ministry of Water Resources. 1958 Beijing Hydropower School and Beijing Hydropower Correspondence College merged to form Beijing Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower. 1969 Moved to Yuecheng Reservoir in Cixian County, Hebei Province to run a school. 197 1 renamed Hebei Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower. 1977 moved to Handan City, Hebei Province to run a school, 1978 changed its name to North China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower. 1990 moved to Zhengzhou city, Henan province to run a school. In 2000, the whole system was put under the management of Henan Province by the Ministry of Water Resources. In 2009, the Ministry of Water Resources signed a strategic agreement with the Henan provincial government to jointly build North China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower. 20 13 was renamed as north China university of water resources and hydropower.
After 69 years of construction and development, the school has become a university featuring water conservancy and electric power, focusing on engineering, with the coordinated development of science, engineering, management, agriculture, economics, literature, law and art. At present, there are 65 full-time undergraduate majors, including 9 national and provincial excellent plan construction majors, 5 national and provincial comprehensive reform pilot majors/kloc-0, and national and provincial characteristic specialty construction points/kloc-0. There are 14 provincial key disciplines, 3 doctoral programs and 34 master programs.