It was the second normal school in Oklahoma, charged with preparing teachers to serve the many one-room schoolhouses that covered the prairie.

The school expanded in 1939 to include degrees in liberal arts as well as education, and its name changed again, to "Northwestern State College".

The motto chosen was "Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow", submitted by Kay Hutcheson, a junior student at Northwestern.

NWOSU competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity teams: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf and rodeo; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, golf, rodeo, soccer, softball and volleyball.

On May 11, 2011, Northwestern Oklahoma State announced that they had accepted an invitation to the Great American Conference for all sports in the 2012–13 academic year and would begin their transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II.

On July 12, 2011, Northwestern Oklahoma State University was denied admittance into the NCAA Division II Membership Process for the 2011–12 cycle; the school was accepted one year later.

[5] Schools must complete a membership process, spanning 3 years, before gaining active status and becoming eligible for championship competition.

On July 17, 2015, the NCAA announced that effective September 1, 2015, the school had become active Division II members.