Northwestern Polytechnic University (NPU) was founded by Ramsey Carter and Barbara Brown on January 2, 1984 and incorporated as a California nonprofit, public-benefit institution.

[3] In 2016, a BuzzFeed news article questioned the operations of NPU during the period in its history of its high (more than 6,000 in 2015) proportion of international students from India.

[5] The following year, a San Jose Mercury News article was published outlining that NPU had continued to meet its job placement compliance requirements and the warning was removed by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

[7] In 2024, San Francisco Bay University introduced a new core curriculum called the Agility Praxis Pathway (APP), designed to enhance students' critical thinking and adaptability.

The curriculum includes 10 courses that supplement degree-specific studies, focusing on diverse perspectives and key competencies identified by University academic leaders.