Beginning as the New Era Educational Institute (NEEI) in June 1975, the school offered secondary education in a building purchased by the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Quiapo, Manila.  Twenty-three teachers and 466 students pioneered the school’s operation.

On June 1977, NEEI was formally incorporated under Republic Act 1459 as a private non-stock, non- sectarian, non-profit educational institution aiming to develop academic excellence, professional responsibility, and social awareness founded on genuine Christian principles

During the school year 1977-1978, NEEI offered vocational and technical courses under the Non-Formal Education Program.

In 1978, the Collegiate Department opened in Diliman, Quezon City occupying the third and fourth floors of the Evangelical College building.  The first and second levels served as the training center of the Church for would-be ministers. Twelve collegiate courses were initially offered: Bachelor of Arts (AB) major in Economics and in Mass Communications, Bachelor of Science (BS) major in Psychology, BS Industrial Education, BSBA Management, BSBA Banking & Finance, BSBA Marketing and the two-year Junior Secretarial Course.  In the field of Engineering and Technology, BS Civil Engineering, BS Electrical Engineering, BS Electronics & Communications Engineering, BS Management & Industrial Engineering, and BS Mechanical Engineering were offered.

In 1981, NEEI assumed the name New Era College (NEC) after it was granted recognition by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

In 1982, NEC held its first commencement exercises and conferred the degrees of Bachelor of Science (major in Psychology), BS Industrial Education, and BS Business Administration on twelve graduates.

The Graduate School was established during the school year 1983-1984 offering the course Master of Arts in College Teaching.  The program on Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education also started this year.

In 1984, NEC opened its Pre-school and Elementary Department.

On May 10, 1986, the new and permanent campus of New Era College along St. Joseph Street, Milton Hills, New Era, Quezon City was inaugurated.  In view of the then peace and order situation surrounding the vicinity of the Manila Campus, the High School Department and Non-Formal Education unit transferred to the new campus in New Era, Quezon City.  This brought together all the departments of the college under the roof of the new four-storey building.

In 1994, NEC established branches in City of San Fernando, Pampanga and in General Santos City. During the school year 1997-1998, these extensions started offering high school education as first year classes were opened initially.  On June 5, 1998, the General Santos City branch inaugurated its very own campus in a half-hectare land area.

On June 30, 1995, the college was granted university status by the Commission on Higher Education.  The school was officially named New Era University.

The New Era University started a year-long Silver Jubilee celebration with the inauguration of the NEU Lipa City campus on a sprawling four-hectare land in Brgy. Marawoy on May 5, 2000.

The Lipa City campus has four buildings, including two five-storey edifices, built on a total land area of 27, 687 sq. meters in Villa San Jose, Marawoy, Lipa City.  It initially offered Pre-School and Elementary Education.

The New Era University College of Law opened in June 2000 after the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) granted it a permit to operate for the first year level of the course. The opening coincided with the 25th anniversary of NEU, which was established in 1975.

Inspired by the attainment of university status and motivated by the challenge of excellence in education, New Era University submitted itself to voluntary accreditation.  In 1996, the Association of Christian Schools and Colleges Accrediting Agency, Inc. (ACSC-AAI) granted Level 1 accreditation to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).  On the same year, the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities – Commission on Accreditation (PACU-COA) awarded Level 1 accreditation to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education (CEd), and College of Business Education and Administration (CBEA).  SGS and CEd both attained level 2 accreditation in 1997. The Elementary, Pre-school and High School Departments were awarded Level 1 accreditation in 1998 while CAS and CBEA qualified for Level 2 accreditation in 1999.

After another accreditation visit, the Pre-school, Elementary and High School Departments were given Level 2 recognition.

The peacefulness, orderliness, brotherly love and reverence for the words of God that govern the day to day order of things in the school inspire the development and maximization of the students’ potentials in different fields.  The Elementary Department and the High School Department have garnered laurels in creative and journalistic writing competitions in quiz bees, in the performing arts, and even in sports.  A most notable achievement was when an NEU school grader won in the United Nations Population Fund International Poster Making Competition held in New York, U.S.A.

The College Department has also produced its own breed of achievers.  The NEU varsity teams have contributed players to the Philippines’ national volleyball and basketball teams, as well as to the Philippine Amateur Basketball League.  NEU engineering graduates have placed in the top ten list of engineering board examinations. NEU made news in the national scene when one of its graduates garnered the number one post in the 1992 Professional Board Examination for Teachers taken by 142, 133 examinees nationwide. The Accountancy program of the College of Business Education and Administration has also performed well in the CPA board examinations.

Side by side with its academic functions, NEU also fulfills its socio-civic responsibility towards the larger community that lies beyond its walls.  The students, faculty and staff members, and administrators all do their share in conducting community extension service.  A very impressive project is the Balik-Aral program for out-of-school youth conducted by NEU in close coordination with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) and the Iglesia Ni Cristo  Social Services Department.  This Program brings classes for the out-of-school youth right in their own vicinity using the local facilities of the Church, the expertise of NEU-trained teachers and the teaching-learning modules from the DECS.