Northwest Normal University is a key university jointly established by Gansu Provincial People's Government and Ministry of Education, and one of the 14 universities in the western region supported by the state. Its predecessor was National Beiping Normal University, and its predecessor was Shi Jing University Teachers College, which was established in 1902. 19 12 was changed to "National Beijing Normal University" and 1923 was changed to "National Beiping Normal University".

1937 After the "July 7th Incident", the National Beiping Normal University, together with the National Beiping University and Beiyang Institute of Technology, which moved westward at the same time, formed Northwest United University, and the National Beiping Normal University was reorganized into an education college under Northwest United University, and later changed to a normal college. 1939 The Teachers' College of Northwest United University was established independently, renamed as National Northwest Teachers' College, and moved to Lanzhou in 194 1 year. After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, the National Northwest Normal College continued to run schools in Lanzhou.

At the same time, Beiping Normal University (now Beijing Normal University) was restored. Before 1958, the school was one of the six national key normal universities directly under the Ministry of Education. From 1958, it was placed under the leadership of Gansu Province and renamed as Gansu Normal University. 198 1 renamed Northwest Normal University. 1988 was renamed Northwest Normal University.