In1909, Jiaozuo Railway and Mining College was founded by British Syndicate Co. Ltd, which is the first coal mining college in China. The college enrolled 20 students for the first time.
In 1915, the British Syndicate Co.Ltd and Zhongyuan Company agreed to set up a joint venture---the Fuzhong Head Company. Thus the college changed its name to Henan Fuzhong Mining College under Henan Foreign Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In 1919, the school name was changed to Fuzhong Mining Special College containing both preparatory and degree-orientation study.
In 1921, the name was changed to Fuzhong Mining University with the priority of the discipline of Mining and Metallurgy involving a one-year preparatory study and four-year degree study.
In 1931, approved by the Ministry of Education, the name was changed to Jiaozuo Private Institute of Technology. The school has established a schoolboard with Liu Zhi, chairman of Henan Province, as the chairman.
In 1937, the anti-Japanese War broke out. The institute moved westward to Shannxi.
In July 1938, the Ministry of Education decided to amalgamate four institutes into the State Northwest Institute of Technology. These four institutes were the Private Jiaozuo Institute of Technology, the State Beiyang Institute of Technology, the College of Engineering of Beiping University and the College of Engineering of the State North East University.
In August 1946, after the anti-Japanese War succeeded, allocated funds were granted by the Ministry of Education and the Henan Provincial Government to enable the Jiaozuo Private Institute of Technology to move to Guanlin, Luoyang City, Henan Province.
In September 1949, the institute moved back to Jiaozuo and the name was changed to State Jiaozuo Institute of Technology.
In January 1950, the institute was taken over by the Ministry of Fuel Industry, which was confirmed by the Ministry of Education.In March 1950, North China Coal Mine college was merged into Jiaozuo Institute of Technology.
In September 1950, Jiaozuo Institute of technology was renamed China Institute of Mining and Technology according to the notice of the Ministry of fuel industry.
In 1951, the main body of the institute relocated to Tianjin with a small portion left behind at the original site which continuously functioned.
In September 1958, Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the establishment of Jiaozuo Mining Institute.
In March 1959, Jiaozuo coal mine school was incorporated into Jiaozuo Mining College.
In October 1961, Zhengzhou Institute of Coal Mine was merged into Jiaozuo Mining Institute.
With the approval of the State Educational Commission,the institute resumed its name to Jiaozuo Institute of Technology in April 1995.
In 2004, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, the institute was renamed Henan Polytechnic University.
