Established in 1951 with the name of National University of Science Education, the school was headed by Prof Lê Văn Thiêm, the father of Vietnam's Mathematics society.

Since then, it has been accredited by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (MOET), which has also managed and awarded the university's undergraduate and post-graduate degrees.

Currently, the total number of full-time faculty and staff of HNUE is more than 1,300, including nearly 800 professors and lecturers across departments and schools on campus.

Today, HNUE has 25 faculties and schools across the campus in Hanoi, and provides a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment.

The university encompasses a wide range of offices and services, training faculties and departments, centers and institutes as well as affiliated schools.