Tsinghua University, located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, was established in 1911 on the site of "Qing Hua Yuan" - a former royal garden of the Qing Dynasty. Funded with part of the "Boxer Indemnity," it was at first a preparatory school called "Tsinghua Xuetang" for those students who were sent by the government to study in the United States.

On April 29, 1911, Tsinghua Xuetang began its first term, and from then on the last Sunday of April was set as the school's anniversary. The name was changed to "Tsinghua School" after the 1911 Revolution.

In 1925, a university section was established, offering a four-year program for students. In 1928, its name was changed to "National Tsinghua University，" and in the autumn of 1929 a graduate school was set up.

Following the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1937, Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University merged to form the Southwest Associated University in Kunming. After the war, Tsinghua University moved back to the original campus in Beijing and resumed operation at its present location.

Three years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a nationwide restructuring of institutes of higher education was initiated, and in 1952, Tsinghua University became a multidisciplinary polytechnic university with an emphasis on training engineers.

Since 1978, during the period of reform and opening to the rest of the world, Tsinghua University has gradually restored such disciplines as science, economic management, humanities and law. It has developed into a comprehensive, research-oriented university open to the whole world.

In 1999, Tsinghua opened the School of Arts and Design by merging with the Central Academy of Arts and Design. Tsinghua has become a leading comprehensive university with engineering as its focus, while concurrently offering degrees in science, liberal arts, management and law.

At present, the University has 13 schools and 55 departments with faculties in science, engineering, humanities and social sciences, medicine and the arts. There are 62 undergraduate programs, 198 master’s degree programs and 181 doctoral degree programs offering courses of study leading to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.