Founded in 1817, SUNPU is one of the oldest educational institutions of Ukraine and the first teaching one on the northern Black Sea coast.

The University started as a Pedagogical Institute which was established pursuant to the Decree of the Emperor Alexander I in Odesa on 2 May 1817, as a separate structural unit at the Richelieu Lyceum.

In 2007, the staff of the University was awarded by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the contribution to the development of education, training highly qualified specialists, productive scientific and pedagogical activity and employment gains.

The results of the University studies are reflected in printed works – more than two thousand scientific papers are annually published at home and foreign editing houses.

The University of Ushynskyi is a founder of scientific journals in philosophy, political science, sociology, psychology, pedagogy, philology and others.

Three hundred Ukrainian and foreign students from fifteen countries take postgraduate and doctorate courses as well as individual academic programs.

The participants of the educational process are winners of almost seventy contests, competitions and various Olympiads of national and international levels.

In recent years there was a significant increase in number of majors and specializations of training graduate, postgraduate and doctoral students.

The University provides all necessary conditions for artistic, creative and sports activities of its students who can participate in forty sections and hobby groups.

Amateur creative collectives take part in many prestigious competitions and festivals in Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, China, the United States and other countries where they annually win prizes and get the Grand Prix.

Martynova, S. O. Skvortsova; founders of Professional Pedagogy Professor R. I. Hmelyuk, L. I. Fursenko;[6] famous artists: poets – V. A. Bershadsky [uk], A. Sh.