In 2004, the three public undergraduate colleges Nantong Medical College, Nantong Engineering College and Nantong Normal College were merged into Nantong University. The former Nantong Medical College and Nantong Engineering College, whose predecessors were the Private Nantong Medical Specialized School and Nantong Textile Specialized School respectively, were founded in 1912 by Zhang Jian, a famous modern industrialist and educator.