College of Resources and Environment originated from the Department of Geography established by National Lanzhou University in 1946. Geography department 1952 set up the undergraduate major of physical geography, 1958 changed its name to the department of geological geography, 1975 set up the major of glacier and frozen soil laboratory, and 19658 set up the undergraduate major of economic geography.

Lanzhou University is a national key comprehensive university directly under the Ministry of Education, and one of the key universities under the National 985 Project and 2 1 1 Project. The school was founded on 1909. Its predecessor was the Gansu Law and Politics School established during the New Deal in the late Qing Dynasty. It marks the beginning of modern higher education in Gansu and opens the precedent of higher education in northwest China.