North Caucasus State Technical University was founded in 1971. Since then it has become a major educational, scientific and cultural centre and one of the most perspective and rapidly developing institutions of higher education in the North Caucasus region.

In 1958 an Educational Consulting Centre (ECC) of the All-Union Extra-Mural Polytechnical Institute was organized in Stavropol. In 1967 the ECC was reorganized into General Technical Faculty (GTF) with daytime and evening training. In 1969 the GTF became a branch of Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute. The development of its material and technical base afforded further opportunities for the development of the branch.

In 1971 by the order of the USSR Council of Ministers Stavropol Polytechnic Institute was established on the basis of Stavropol branch of Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute and Nevinnomyssk and Cherkessk ECCs became its structural parts.

Early in 1992 a programme was worked out for the transition of the Institute into the rank of a technical university, and on 26.05.94 by the order N524 of the Committee of the Russian Federation for higher education Stavropol Polytechnical Institute was transformed into Stavropol State Technical University.

As Stavropol State Technical University was one of the leading higher educational establishments in the region and the only one of its type in the North Caucasus, it was renamed as North Caucasus State Technical University, by the order N1180 of the Ministry for higher and vocational education of the Russian Federation of 24.04.99.

North Caucasus State Technical University has become not only the center for training highly-skilled personnel for the North Caucasus territory, but it has created favorable conditious for strengthening good-neighbourly relations between the peoples of North Caucasus, thus stimulating stabilization of social-economic situation and reconciliation in the territory.

NCSTU is an educational-scientific complex with a well-developed infrastructure, material and technical base, which provides high-quality training of specialists in engineering, technological, natural, economic and managerial as well as social and humanitarian specialities for Stavropol Kray, republics of North Caucasus and other subjects of Russian Federation.

In April, 1999 the University got the licence of Goskomvuz of Russia (№ 24 Г -0280) which gives it the right to provide educational services in the sphere of higher, additional, post-university vocational training in different specialities.

North Caucasus Technical University was accredited, and in 1999, July, 29 got a certificate of it.

At present the University is a huge educational and research complex. Besides the head University in Stavropol it includes Nevinnomyssk Technological Institute (having the rights of its branch), branches in the cities of Pyatigorsk, Georgievsk, Kislovodsk (established by orders of the State Committee for higher schools and the Ministry for education of Russia), an institute for intensive training (crash course), a faculty for external studies, Inter-Sectoral Regional Centre for Upgrading and Retraining. The University also has its representations in the republics of Kalmykia, North-Ossetia, Ingushetia, Karachayevo-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. There is a North Caucasus Humanitarian Technical Institute on the basis of the University.

NCSTU is actively becoming integrated into the international educational system, participates in international educational projects, and has agreements on cooperation and student exchange with educational and research centres in the USA, Canada, West Europe, South-Eastern Asia and Africa.

North Caucasus State Technical University is the only university in the Stavropol region which has a Federal centre of the global computer network "RUNNet", which opens up quite new perspectives in education, including distance learning and allows to improve radically the efficiency and quality of training specialities. Special classrooms have been equipped for students where they can link up with the Internet system at the appointed time and use the world information system to find any data they need in their studies. For the students having a good command of foreign languages NCSTU has signed contracts with 2 American universities thus givimg them a chance to use educational virtual progammes through Internet.

More than 15 thousand Russian and foreign students are trained at the faculties of NCSTU in 50 technical, natural-science, economic and humanitarian specialities.

NCSTU is one of the leading scientific centres in the region. The research work is done not only at the departments but also at six research institutes organized on the basis of the University. The scientific research and experimental design work is coordinated by the scientific-and-technical centre (STC).

The training of scientific-and-pedagogical personnel is carried out at the University post-graduate course, which is the largest in Kray and provides training in 31 scientific specialities, and at the doctorate course in 9 scientific specialities. 11 degree-conferring Academic Councils work successfully, 7 of them confer the scientific degree of Doctor of Science and four confer that of Candidate of Science.

At present a faculty of distance learning has been set up. Distance learning provides one with an opportunity to get a high-quality education irrespective of one's place of residence and specific nature of work.

The University has 3 comfortable halls of residence, a gymnasium and a specially equipped stadium.

You may display your creative abilities in culture and arts attending the Centre of Aesthetic Education (CAE). The participants of the University amateur talent activities have more than once won prizes at various amateur talent festivals. Under the guidance of the qualified instructors of the Centre a number of amateur groups were organized which enjoy considerable popularity and success.