The history of our University traces back to 1959 when the Pedagogical Institute in Nitra was founded. Initially, the University prepared the teachers for primary (and later) secondary schools. Since 1960, it has also been preparing the teachers for schools with Hungarian as a language of instruction. Later, it began preparing researchers and highly skilled experts for various spheres of public and cultural life.

The year 1992 was an important milestone: the University of Pedagogy in Nitra was established. In 1993, the Faculty of Humanities and Faculty of Natural Sciences were formed. Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra was established by the National Council of the Slovak Republic on October 23, 1996. The ceremonial inauguration was held on February 13, 1997 and it was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Government, rectors of other universities, high religious leaders, and the representatives of local and regional cultural bodies. The Old Slavonic Gregorian Chant presented by the university student choir during the formal inauguration evoked a pensive atmosphere – through the actions of Constantine and Methodius, the Glagolitic script became the first script of organized education and the Old Slavonic became the first literary language in Great Moravia and the Principality of Nitra.

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Health was founded in 2001 and two years later the Faculty of Central European Studies was formed by merging the national sections at the individual Faculties and University.

In 2010, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra reclaimed the status of a university-type higher education establishment.