Shaanxi Normal University is a university directly under the Ministry of Education, a world-class discipline construction university, and an important base for the country to train teachers for higher education institutions and secondary schools, education administrators, and other senior specialized talents, known as the "cradle of teachers".

The university's predecessor was Shaanxi Provincial Normal College, established in 1944. It was renamed Xi'an Normal College in 1954 and merged with Shaanxi Normal College in 1960 to be named Shaanxi Normal University. In 1978, it was placed directly under the Ministry of Education. For more than 70 years since its establishment, the university has upheld the "Western Red Candle Spirit" and the fine traditions of "profound virtue, accumulated knowledge, inspiring ambition, and diligent practice," rooting itself in the west and serving the entire nation. It has developed into an influential comprehensive first-class normal university, having trained over 471,000 graduates of various types for the country. It has formed a study style of "upholding the truth steadfastly and being proud of knowledge" and a campus spirit of "sincere and broad-mindedness, unity of knowledge and action." The current Party Secretary is Professor Li Zhongjun, and the President is Professor You Xuqun.

The university has a Graduate School and 21 colleges (departments), 1 Basic Experimental Teaching Center, and a College of Ethnic Education (Preparatory Education). It offers 69 undergraduate programs, 36 first-level master's degree authorization disciplines, and 18 first-level doctoral degree authorization disciplines; it has 1 doctoral professional degree authorization point (Doctor of Education) and 19 master's professional degree authorization points. There are 18 postdoctoral research stations. It has 4 national key disciplines. 4 doctoral dissertations were selected into National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations, 7 doctoral dissertations were selected into National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Nomination Papers, 90 doctoral dissertations were selected into Shaanxi Provincial Excellent Doctoral Dissertations, 1 doctoral dissertation was selected into National Excellent Doctor of Education Professional Degree Dissertations, and 16 master's dissertations were selected into National Excellent Master of Education Professional Degree Dissertations. It has 2 national basic discipline talent training and scientific research bases, 3 national teaching teams, 3 Ministry of Education higher education discipline innovation and intelligence introduction bases, 1 national engineering laboratory, 4 national experimental teaching demonstration centers, 3 national virtual simulation experimental teaching centers, 1 Ministry of Education humanities and social sciences research base, 4 Ministry of Education country and regional research centers, 1 Ministry of Education education legislation research base, 1 General Administration of Sport of China key research base for sports sociology, 1 National Ethnic Affairs Commission ethnic theory and policy research base, 1 National Ethnic Affairs Commission "Belt and Road" country and regional research center, 1 National Ethnic Affairs Commission Chinese Nation Community Research Base, 1 All-China Women's Federation key research base, 1 China National Tourism Administration research base, 2 national Master of Education professional degree graduate joint training demonstration bases, 5 Ministry of Education key laboratories and engineering research centers, 1 Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs professional research and development center, 26 Shaanxi Province key laboratories and engineering technology research centers, 1 Shaanxi Province philosophy and social sciences key research base, 1 Shaanxi Province key research center for socialism with Chinese characteristics theory system, 1 Shaanxi Province key public opinion information research center, 1 Shaanxi Province ideological and political work key research base, 6 Shaanxi Province university philosophy and social sciences key research bases, 29 Shaanxi Province teaching teams, 18 Shaanxi Province experimental teaching demonstration centers, 5 Shaanxi Province virtual simulation experimental teaching centers, 5 Shaanxi Province graduate joint training demonstration workstations, and over 80 various research centers (institutes). The university has educational institutions such as the College of Distance Education and the College of Teacher and Cadre Training. In addition, it also has the Ministry of Education Northwest Higher Normal Teacher Training Center, the Ministry of Education Northwest Education Management Cadre Training Center, the Ministry of Education Basic Education Curriculum Research Center, the Shaanxi Province Basic Education Resource Development Center, the Shaanxi Province Teacher Education Guidance Center, and the Shaanxi Province Cadre Education and Training Base, as well as dozens of academic societies and institutions such as the Chinese Tang History Society and the Chinese Ancient Capital Society.

The university currently has over 1,980 faculty members, of whom 95.3% hold doctoral or master's degrees, with 75.6% holding doctoral degrees. Among the faculty, there are over 590 professors and over 810 associate professors. There are 8 dual-appointed academicians, 5 national young and middle-aged experts with outstanding contributions, 16 national distinguished professors, 9 selected for the National "Ten Thousand Talents Program", 2 winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 2 national teaching masters, 5 winners of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, 4 cultural celebrities and "Four Batches" talents, 41 selected for the "New Century Excellent Talents Support Program", 5 Shaanxi Province "Three Qin Scholars Innovation Teams", 2 Shaanxi Province "Three Qin Scholars", and 56 selected for talent programs such as Shaanxi Province Experts with Outstanding Contributions, "Three-Five" Talents, Top Talents in Key Fields, "Six Batches" Talents in the Propaganda, Ideological and Cultural System, Provincial Teaching Masters, and Provincial Young and Middle-aged Science and Technology Innovation Leaders. Additionally, 53 individuals have been selected for talent programs such as Provincial Science and Technology Stars, Provincial University Humanities and Social Sciences Young Talents Support Program, Provincial Hundred Young Literary Artists Support Program, and Provincial General Higher Education Institutions Young Outstanding Talents Support Program.

The university currently has 17,766 full-time undergraduate students, 20,233 graduate students (including 9,609 full-time graduate students and 10,624 part-time graduate students), 808 international students of various types, and over 48,000 continuing education and online education students. For a long time, the university has regarded quality as its lifeline, vigorously grasping teaching management and reform, and achieving remarkable results. In recent years, it has won a total of 18 national teaching achievement awards and 183 provincial teaching achievement awards; 11 majors have been rated as national characteristic majors, and 22 majors have been rated as provincial characteristic majors; 11 majors have been established as provincial comprehensive reform pilot majors; 27 majors have been designated as national first-class professional construction sites, and 7 majors have been designated as provincial first-class professional construction sites; 2 national talent training model innovation experimental zones, and 18 provincial talent training model innovation experimental zones; 11 virtual simulation experimental teaching projects have received national project accreditation, and 15 virtual simulation experimental teaching projects have received provincial project accreditation; 2 projects (including 13 majors) have been approved as "Excellent Teacher Training Program Reform Projects" by the Ministry of Education. 9 courses have been rated as national excellent courses, and 47 courses have been rated as provincial excellent courses; 8 courses have been rated as national excellent video open courses, and 8 courses have been rated as national excellent teacher education quality resource sharing courses; 5 courses have been rated as national excellent resource sharing courses, and 42 courses have been rated as provincial excellent resource sharing courses; 4 courses have been rated as national first-class online courses, 8 courses have been rated as national first-class offline courses, and 2 courses have been rated as national first-class blended online and offline courses; 10 courses have been rated as provincial first-class online courses, 10 courses have been rated as provincial first-class offline courses, and 3 courses have been rated as provincial first-class blended online and offline courses.

The university vigorously implements the strategy of strengthening the university through scientific research, and its research capabilities continue to improve. In the past 5 years, in the field of humanities and social sciences research, a total of 1,228 research projects at or above the provincial and ministerial level have been undertaken, including 295 National Social Science Fund projects and 158 Ministry of Education projects; 888 works have been published, 6,733 academic papers have been published, and 110 achievements have received awards at or above the provincial and ministerial level. In terms of natural science research, a total of 803 million RMB in scientific research funds have been secured. The National Natural Science Foundation has maintained over 100 projects annually since 2016 for 5 consecutive years. A total of 20 national major (key) projects have been undertaken, including 10 key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, major scientific research instrument development projects, and projects for excellent young scholars, 9 national key R&D program projects (including sub-projects), and 1 special task under the national major special project "Second Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Scientific Expedition." 145 academic works have been published or co-edited, including 52 monographs, and 56 achievements have received provincial and ministerial science and technology awards; 1,266 patents have been authorized, including 1,033 invention patents and 8 foreign invention patents.