[7] The school is named in honor of Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor who lived in New Jersey for the bulk of his adult life and gained encyclopedic knowledge of many subject areas through self-directed learning.

[8] Thomas Edison State University moved into downtown Trenton in September 1979, at a time when other institutions were leaving cities.

[12] The university's campus has grown over the years and currently includes the Kelsey Building, the Townhouse Complex, the Center for Learning and Technology, and Kuser Mansion, all on West State Street.

Thomas Edison State University has been active in restoring several historic buildings of downtown Trenton, preserving the essence of the city's past and stimulating economic development.

[14] In 2016, the university celebrated the opening of the 34,360-square-foot Nursing Education Center at the site of the former Glen Cairn Arms apartment complex at West State and Calhoun streets.

[20] In 2019, Wells Fargo donated the painting by Wyeth portraying George Washington's reception at Trenton to TESU, the largest gift ever given to the university.

[16][21] Thomas Edison State University offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in more than 100 areas of study.

"[31] In 2011, Thomas Edison State University was selected by the National University Technology Network (NUTN) to receive its Distance Education Innovation Award for the development of the FlashTrack course delivery system, which delivers entire courses to students via a flash drive and does not require a constant internet connection.