The predecessor of Ningxia University is Ningxia Normal College and Ningxia Agricultural College, which were founded in September 1958. in September 1962, Ningxia Normal College and Ningxia Agricultural College merged with Ningxia Medical College to set up Ningxia University. in January 1970, Ningxia Medical College and Ningxia Agricultural College were separated from Ningxia University to set up a separate hospital. in December 1997, Ningxia University merged with Ningxia Engineering College and Yinchuan Normal College to set up a separate hospital. In December 1997, Ningxia University merged with Ningxia College of Technology and Yinchuan Normal Higher and Specialized School (including Ningxia College of Education) to form a new Ningxia University.In February 2002, Ningxia University merged with Ningxia College of Agriculture to form a new Ningxia University.
As of September 2021, the university covers an area of 2,938 acres, with 1,890 acres of teaching and experimental farms and 870,000 square meters of campus buildings; it has 30 secondary teaching units and 80 undergraduate majors; there are 3 postdoctoral research stations, 7 first-level doctoral degree programs, 31 first-level master's degree programs, and 16 professional master's degree authorization programs; 2,690 faculty and staff members are enrolled in the school. There are 19,296 full-time undergraduates, 6,355 graduate students, 997 ethnic minority preparatory students and 179 international students.