In 1902, Shifan Guan (Sector of Teacher Education) was established by Jingshi Daxuetang (Imperial University of Peking). Its first semester began at Dec. 17, and had an enrollment of 79 students. It was located in Mashen Miao of East Street of Jingshan, Beijing.
      In 1904, Shifan Guan was renamed as Youji Shifan Ke ( School of Teacher Education ).
     In 1908, the School of Teacher Education of the Imperial University of Peking was renamed as You Ji Shi Fan Xue Tang (Capital Metropolitan School of Teacher Education) and moved to the Wucheng of Changdian. It was the beginning of separate college for teacher education.
     In 1912, the school was renamed as Peking Normal College. (The above is also the early history of Beijing Normal University )
     In 1920, the Mass Education Speech Group was founded in Peking University.
     In 1922, the Education Research Association was set up, and Yang Lian was elected as the president. On this basis the department of education was built.
     In October 1924, the specialty of education was set up. Jiang Menglin was the president of the professor committee of the Education Department. Later, Jiang was appointed President of Peking University
     In 1931, the faculty system was established in Peking University. The three faculties included the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Sciences, and the Faculty of Law. The Education Department belonged to the Faculty of Arts.
From 1932 to 1933, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Hu Shih, served as Director of the Education Department during the same period, and act as President of Peking University from 1946 to 1948.
     In 1937, during the temporary term in Changsha, the education department was merged into the Department of Philosophy, Psychology, and Education. The chairman of the professor committee was Mr. Feng Youlan. The Education Department was reserved in Peking University.
     In April, 1938, Mr. Tang Yongtong was appointed as the chairman of the Philosophy, Psychology, and Education Department of the National Southwestern Associated University.
     In August, 1938, the Teachers College was set up in the National Southwestern Associated University, merging the education sector of the Philosophy, Psychology, and Education Department. In the same month, the Education Department of Yunnan University was merged into the Education Department of the National Southwestern Associated University. Qiu Chun acted as the chairman of the department.
     In 1939, Chen Xueping was the deputy dean of the education department. Chen Yousong and Meng Chengxian were appointed professors of the department.
     In 1940, the Education Department of the Teachers College of National Southwestern Associated University drafted the education plan for the enrollment of two-year graduate students of Education and Psychology.
     In 1941, Xu Jizu was appointed as professor of the Education Department.
     In 1942, Wang Maozu was retained as the professor of the Education Department.
     In September 1945, the Ministry of Education decided to keep the Teachers College of the National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming , with some parts of the Education Department (Chen Yousong as the deputy dean) reserved in Kunming and the others back to Peking to retain the Education Department in Peking University .
     In 1946, there were 83 students in the Education Department of Peking University. The dean was Chen Xueping.
     In 1947 and 1948, there were 137 and 128 students respectively in the Education Department, and one graduate student from the Education Research Institute in 1948. The dean was Fan Jichang, and later Zhang Tianling became the deputy dean.
     In June 17, 1949, the Education Department of Peking University was cancelled according to Confidential Higher Education File No. 234 issued by the Northern Higher Education Committee. Junior students graduated ahead of schedule, and freshmen and sophomores transferred to other departments.
     In 1973, the Audio-visual Education Center was founded, including its affiliated offices, the Educational Technology Research Office, the Computer Research Office for Students of Arts, the Multimedia Technology Lab, and the Technology Office.
     In 1980, the Higher Education Research Unit was established, the founding members of which included Chen Dewei, Hao Keming, Qu Shipei, and Chen Xuefei.
     In 1983, the Higher Education Research Unit initiated master program of Higher Education.
     In 1984, the Institute of Higher Education was approved by the Ministry of Education of China. It included Chinese High education and International Comparative Education Research unit, Economics and Administration of Education Research Unit, Education Evaluation Research Unit, as well as Higher Education Information Group. Professor Wang Yongquan was appointed director of the institute.
     In 1986, an audio-visual teaching building with an area of more than ten thousand square meters was built by the Audio-visual Education Center
     In 1987, Dr. Min Weifang came back to China and joined in the Institute of Higher Education, Peking Universoty.
      In 1990, the Institute of Higher Education established Ph.D. program of Higher Education.
     In 1993, the Higher Education Research Institute initiated master program of Economics and an Administration of Education.
     In 1998, the Higher Education Research Institute set up the Ph.D. program of Economics and Administration of Education.
      In 1999, the Institute of Economics of Education was established.
     In 2000, the Institute of Economics of Education was approved as key research center of the Ministry of Education of China.
     In 2000, Merging the Institute of Higher Education with the Audio-visual Education Center, the Graduate School of Education, Peking University (PGSE) was founded. The PGSE included three departments, namely the Department of Education and Human Development, the Department of Economics and Administration of Education, and the Department of Educational Technology. Professor Min Weifang was appointed founding dean of PGSE.
     In January 2003, the journal Peking University Education Review was founded. Professor Wang Yongquan was the founding editor of PUER.
     In September 2003, the first Ed.D. Program in mainland China was initiated at PGSE.
     In October 2003, the Ph.D. program of Principles of Education was approved.
    In 2009, Professor Wen Dongmao was appointed dean of PGSE, Professor Min Weifang was appointed honorary dean of PGSE.
     In 2011, the department of educational administration and policy was established.
     In 2014, Professor Chen Xiaoyu was appointed dean of PGSE.
     In 2014, the Ph.D. program of Educational Technology was initiated.