Founded in 1946 as the Northeast College of Administration in Harbin, Heilongjiang, Jilin University merged with many universities and colleges and changed its name many times.

In April 2006, an institute dedicated to projects of military interest was created within Jilin University.

[6][7] There are 6,657 faculty members in total, among which there are 2,110 professors and 1,618 doctoral advisors.

[21] The university ranked 66th among the leading institutions globally in the Nature Index 2021 Annual Tables by Nature Research, that measure the high-quality research published in 82 high-quality science journals.

[24] There are 47 colleges or schools, as well as a few institutions and other affiliated organizations within 9 divisions in Jilin University,[25] including: