In 1849 CCSU was founded as New Britain Normal School to train teachers. It was the 6th Normal School in the US and is the oldest public university in Connecticut.[8][9] It ran until 1867 when the school was temporarily closed due to opposition in the Connecticut General Assembly.[10] Two years later, the Normal School resumed its services and continued to do so until the 1930s. During this time the Connecticut General Assembly created the Teachers College of Connecticut and the first bachelor's degrees were granted.[11] In 1922, the campus moved to its current location on Stanley Street.
In 1983 the school transitioned from a college to a regional university, the first time at which it operated under its current name, Central Connecticut State University. Organizational leadership changed in 2011 when the Connecticut Department of Higher Education was dissolved and replaced by the Office of Higher Education and the Board of Regents.