Savannah State University was founded as a result of the Second Morrill Land Grant Act of August 30, 1890.

[12] The act mandated that southern and border states develop land grant colleges for black students, as their systems were segregated.

With the expansion of towns across the US, and continuing issues in trying to educate four million freedmen and their descendants, there was an urgent need to establish many new schools and to train teachers quickly in the North and the South.

[18][19] Portions of the Paramount Pictures movie The General's Daughter were filmed at historic Hill Hall on the campus during the summer of 1997.

The film's director Simon West was quoted as saying the campus and Savannah generally "had the most varied and interesting look" to represent the "brooding," "hot and steamy and sticky" "Southern Gothic" impression.

[6] The TLC show Trading Spaces filmed an episode ("Savannah: SSU Steppers") on the campus on September 7–9, 2007, as two spaces in the King-Frazier Student Center were transformed by members of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

[20] Commissioned II Love, an evangelical Christian campus group, with the assistance of The Alliance Defense Fund's Center for Academic Freedom and the National Legal Foundation filed a federal discrimination lawsuit[21] against Savannah State University and several university employees on March 1, 2007.

[24] The settlement did not include any admission of wrongdoing by the university or any monetary award to Commissioned II Love, but ended the dispute between the two parties.

[26] In the fall of 2007 Savannah State teamed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to offer a new course in environmental regulations, so students can deepen understanding of policy and implementation issues.

[28] Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Savannah State University also has achieved fully accredited programs in specialized areas of science and engineering: Additionally, the Chemistry department is American Chemical Society (ACS) certified.

[38] Oversight is provided by the University System of Georgia, the organizational body that sets goals and dictates general policy to all public educational institutions in the state.

[44] Several of the campus' older buildings were originally constructed by students and faculty members, and display architectural styles from the past century.

[45] Walter Bernard Hill Hall, built between 1900 and 1901 by students studying manual arts and blacksmithing, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

[46] It houses the university's Enrollment Management Center, a presidential suite, administrative offices, a lecture hall, a banquet room, and a small museum.

[55] In 2007 the choir performed at the Dr. Bobby Jones International Gospel Music Industry Retreat, which was also broadcast on The Word Network.

[57] The university band, nicknamed the "Powerhouse of the South", performs during Savannah State football games.

All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations currently have chapters at Savannah State University.

The Tiger's Roar is the official student-produced newspaper of Savannah State University and provides both a print and online version.

[61] Established in 1975 and known as "the Voice of Savannah State University", WHCJ's current play formats include gospel, jazz, reggae, blues and salsa music, as well as talk shows, commentaries, and cultural enrichment programming.

[67][68] The team's final game (a 49–44 loss to Florida A&M) was covered by several national sports organizations including ESPN.