The University was founded by John Fitz Alan Howard, D.C., in 1906 in Davenport, Iowa, as the National School of Chiropractic. It moved to Chicago in 1908 to access a more rigorously scientific academic culture. National's first home was at 1732 W. Congress St., across from the Presbyterian Hospital, where it was chartered and incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois.

Enrollment increased, and National moved to larger quarters when it purchased a five-story stone and brick building at 20 N. Ashland Blvd. Its name was then legally changed to The National College of Chiropractic. The Chicago General Health Service clinic was established in 1927 in connection with the College.

In 1963, The National College of Chiropractic moved to 20 acres of farmland in suburban Lombard, Illinois, where it was later discovered this had once been the site of the sanitarium of Dr. George E. Boffenmeyer. Dr. Boffenmeyer espoused the principles of hydrotherapeutics, fasting and massage, uncannily close to the prechiropractic clinical interests of John Fitz Allan Howard. (For more about National's historic sites, click here).

Since 1978, National has published the only refereed, internationally indexed, chiropractic scientific journal, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. It also publishes the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, and through electronic format, the Journal of Chiropractic Humanities.

In 1999, National became the first, and remains the only, chiropractic college to require a baccalaureate degree for admission. National was also the first institution with a chiropractic program to develop and use a specialized training and assessment center and the first to install and use an MRI for patient and research purposes.

National has long been a leader in chiropractic education and has been at the forefront in:

• Introducing laboratory procedures into the teaching of the basic sciences;
  
• Originating the clinical approach to diagnosis;
  
• Incorporating broad scope therapeutic measures into chiropractic education and practice;
  
• Developing and researching various aspects of chiropractic practice through application of the scientific method;
  
• Initiating increased standards for preprofessional education;
  
• Researching and teaching acpuncture/meridian therapy to its professional students;
  
• Promoting the value of and various uses for soft tissue therapy;
  
• Teaching botanical medicine to its professional students;
  
• Initiating and using problem-based learning as a cornerstone of its curriculum;
  
• Pioneering efforts in seeking accreditation and/or approvals of the institution and its various programs by state, regional and federal accrediting bodies or agencies.

The chiropractic college started evolving into a university concept between 1993 and September 2000, when it officially became known as National University of Health Sciences. National now operates teaching clinics and other opportunities for its students: the Student Clinic, National University Health Center, Chicago General Health Service, and two Salvation Army Clinics. Some interns participate in learning rotations at Midwest Regional Medical Center and/or community-based internships or preceptorships.

The massage therapy certification program was introduced in 1999 as part of the University's plan to expand its offerings. In 2004, the University added a prerequisite program offering undergraduate level science courses for students needing prerequisite course credit for admission into professional degree programs. In 2005, the University added a bachelor of science degree completion program, as well as fully accredited master's degrees in both diagnostic imaging and advanced clinical practice. In 2006, the University began offerig the doctor of naturopathic medicine degree as well as master's degrees in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. 

In 2008, the University formed a partnership with St. Petersburg College (SPC) in St. Petersburg, Florida, to offer the D.C. degree as part of the SPC - University Partnership Center.  Applications for the D.C. program at National University of Health Sciences - St. Petersburg Campus opened in March of 2009 for the first class to begin in September of 2009.