Nanjing University of Technology was established by merging Nanjing University of Chemical Technology and Nanjing Institute of Architectural and Civil Engineering in May 2001. Nanjing University of Chemical Technology can be traced back to Sanjiang Normal School established in 1902. Going through the historical periods of Sanjiang Normal School, Liangjiang Normal School, Nanjing Higher Normal Training School, State-run Southeast University, State-run Central University, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing Institute of Chemical Technology was established from Nanjing Institute of Technology in 1958. It was renamed Nanjing University of Chemical Technology in April 1995. Nanjing Institute of Architectural and Civil Engineering was formerly the Department of Mechanics of Tongji Medical and Engineering School established in 1915. It was renamed Tongji Higher Vocational School in 1933 and Nanjing School of Architectural Engineering in 1950, and promoted to Nanjing Instltute of Architectural and Civil Engineering in May 1980.

The newly-established Nanjing University of Technology is a multiple-discipline research and teaching type university Wahich offers mainly engineering courses, but also offers courses in other disciplines such as engineering, sciences, management, economics, liberal arts, law and philosophy. There are 2 postdoctoral scientific research mobile centers, 2 first-class discipline doctor's degree programs, 19 second-class discipline doctor's degree programs, 38 master's degree programs, of which 5 have the right to train Master of Engineering and confer the degree, and nearly 60 specialties of regular college courses. It has the qualification to recruit foreign students and the right to examine and approve any professor. There are nearly 23,000 students, including foreign students, doctor's degree and master's degree candidates, undergraduates and students of associate degree courses, including more than 1600 graduate students.

There are over 2,300 teachers and staff, including nearly a thousand full-time teachers and nearly 500 teachers with senior titles such as professor and associate professor. There are 3 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 member of the Appraisal Group of the Degree Committee under the State Council, 6 young and middle-aged experts who have made outstanding contribution to the country, 50 PhD program supervisors, 2 winners of the National Outstanding Youth Funds, 4 winners of the Teaching Award and Funds for the "Hue Yingdong Excellent Young Teachers" under the Ministry of Education, 4 candidates for training of the "Hundreds of Millions of Qualified Personnel Project" under the Ministry of Personnel, 23 candidates for training of the "333 Project" sponsored by the Organizational Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and 24 candidates for training of the academic leaders of the "indigo Blue Coming from the Indigo Plant Project" sponsored by the Department of Education of Jiangsu Province. Over 30 experts and scholars well-known at home and abroad are engaged as part-time professors or honorary professors. There are 19 colleges at this university. The campuses cover an area of nearly 4,000mu and the library collects more than 1.5 million books.