The history of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics can be traced back to 1917 the founding of the Business School of Nanjing Normal College. In autumn 1921, the Business School was moved to Shanghai and become Shanghai Commercial University. It had been affiliated to Southeast China University. Shanghai Commercial University became Shanghai Finance and Economics Institution in 1950 and in 1985 the University was christened the present name. In 1997, Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese President said and inscribed that "Shanghai University of Finance and Economics aims to become a top-quality Socialist university and marches towards the new century."

Through generations of keen efforts, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has become a university consists of many academic subjects. Nowadays, it has 860 full-time lecturers, about 430 professors and associate professors collectively. The team in the University is young and energetic, with more and more excellent talents to be introduced.

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has three campuses. The Main Campus is located on Guoding Road, is a base for undergraduate education. Zhongshan Northern Road Campus is an EMBA, MBA, foreign students and specialists training zone. The third campus is located on Wuchuan Road, is a new base for the studies of undergraduates and postgraduates. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has also been set up business administration training courses for to-be-managers in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. There is an affiliated postgraduate college established in Hong Kong.

The University maintains the principle "constructing the academy and striving for better economy by engaging scientific research", so Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has been very active in subjects such as Accountants, Finance, Marxism Politics and Economics, World's Economy and Insurance.

In addition to the education in finance and economics, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics also emphasizes cultural education, which results a highly romantic and harmonious atmosphere in the campus.