East China Normal University was founded in October 1951, located on the former site of Great China University with most of its faculties from this University joined by some faculties from several other universities such as Fudan and Tongji. Great China University was founded in 1924 at Shanghai City by some lecturers and teachers left from Amoy University in Fujian Province. Prominent scholars and famous professors had tutored in Great China University during its 27 years history. The University had fostered about 20,000 students which produced some well-known revolutionaries, scholars and literati.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the new government thought that the nation required developing an enterprising business in Socialistic and patriotic education. So the Education Department of East China Military and Political Committee announced to establish East China Normal University in July 1951.

Various jobs had been done for the arrangement of faculties in the University since its founding. In September 1952, faculties of Education, Chinese, Mathematics, Physics and Biology of Shanghai St. John's University (now East China University of Political Science and Law) as well as some faculties from other famous universities were merged into East China Normal University. Some lecturers and teachers were fetched in from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University and Zhejiang University. Meanwhile, the University established a Research Department to promote scientific researches. Campus newspapers and magazines had been published to publicize the scientific education and upgrade the quality in research.

Scholastic foundation was so firm in East China Normal University because of the resources obtained from local institutions, so in March 1959, the University was designated by state's educational authority as one of the 16 key universities in China. The flourishing situation in scientific research was come to a halt in the Cultural Revolution. During which some lecturers and researchers had been migrated to rural areas and remote factories, but their enthusiasm in pursuing academic successes had not been stopped.

During the mid-1960s, East China Normal University enlisted Adult Education students and 210 students from Vietnam. Thus the University's student abroad services were commenced.

In 1970s, the academic activities had been gradually resumed in the University, and its name was changed to Shanghai Normal University, because it was forced to merge with small local teacher training institutions. But this situation lasted until the year 1980, and the name was back to its original one.

Since China's implementation of the Reform and Opening Policy pioneered by the paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, who decreed that education, should be "modernized, looking forward and going out to the world". East China Normal University followed the saying of the statesman and strived forward, innovated in teaching methods and stuck to the intrinsic morals of education.

Today's East China Normal University has two campuses, one in Minxing District and the other is in Zhongshan Northern Road, with a total land area about 200 hectares. The Zhongshan Northern Road Campus is like a giant garden, the locals nicknamed it as "The School in the Garden ". There are 19 full-time faculties notably Humanities and Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Public Administration, Foreign Languages and Media, with 61 majors for undergraduate courses in the University. East China Normal University laid importance to its internationalization process and attained good worldwide reputation in its academic achievements. The University has strategic cooperative and academic research ties with many famous higher educational institutions around the globe.

As a teachers' training institution, East China Normal University has been paying much attention to foster principals and teachers in high schools. It also trains headmasters for secondary schools in Hong Kong and Macau.