Northeast Normal University is an institution of higher learning under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, being selected as one of the universities given priority in construction in the "211 Project". The university, located in Changchun city, Jilin province, occupies an area of 1,500,000 square meters, including 800,000 square meters of the main campus and 700,000 square meters of the new campus.

There are 22,221 full-time students in NENU, including 15,191 undergraduates, 6,599 M.A. and Ph.D. students, and 431 foreign students. There are 1281 full-time teachers, including 348 professors, 409 associate professors and 272 Ph.D. supervisors.

NENU is presently composed of 19 schools , 56 specially fields of study for undergraduates, and a graduate school, which offers M.A. degree in 142 subjects/specialties, and Ph.D. degree in 75 subjects/ specialties. There are 9 first-grade specialties authorized to confer Ph.D. Degrees, which are History, Biology, and Geography, Marxist Theory, Education, Chinese Literature, Mathematics, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Engineering.

NENU attaches great importance to the development of international cooperation and academic exchanges. With the guidance of the idea of running school openly, NENU has established cooperation and exchange relations with more than 120 universities and colleges and research institutions in over 20 countries, including the USA, Canada, Japan, the UK, Korea, Australia, and Russia, and has developed series of important cooperation and exchange programs, which have enlightened the school to improve the over-all academic level and the cultivation of talents.

Since 2000, NENU has invited and appointed more than 80 foreign experts, represented by the Noble Prize winner, Prof. Yang Zhenning, as honorary professors or visiting professors, and invited more than 300 long-term foreign experts and scholars to teach in NENU. Over 100 teachers have been sent abroad for further study or to visit each year, and more than 30 international and regional academic conferences have been held, important cooperative research programs have been developed to promote academic exchanges.