Elizabeth City State University was established by the North Carolina General Assembly on March 3, 1891, as the State Colored Normal School at Elizabeth City, in response to a bill calling for the creation of a two-year Normal School for the "teaching and training [of] teachers of the colored race to teach in the common schools of North Carolina."

[7] Within the following twenty-five years, the college expanded its offerings to include a vocational-technical program and a total of thirteen academic majors.

In 1969, its name was changed to Elizabeth City State University to reflect expansion and the addition of graduate programs.

[8] ECSU is home to the only four-year aviation science degree program in North Carolina.

[17] ECSU offers 28 baccalaureate degrees and four master's degrees in one of the following academic departments:[18] ECSU also offers special programs that appeal to various interests and fields of study, including the honors program (for high-achieving undergraduates), military science, and study abroad.