The founding of the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1870 occurred during a period of rapid growth in American engineering education. In 1862, there were only seven engineering schools in the country. By 1872, that number had increased tenfold to 70 schools. When Stevens opened its doors in 1871, it became the first American school to an offer a degree in mechanical engineering. Dr. Henry Morton, the first president of Stevens, felt the student body should be given a broad academic foundation with the requisite grounding in mathematics, physics, chemistry, metallurgy, mechanical drawing, but also in the humanities and foreign languages. The addition of a liberal arts requirement on top of a strictly engineering and scientific-focused curriculum stood in contrast to the contemporary notion that an engineer would receive his training in the workshop, not the classroom.

From 1900 onwards, Stevens began to adapt to the changing standards of engineering education as a field of composed of related disciplines like chemical engineering or civil engineering, each with their own blend of science and engineering curriculum. Under the administration of Jess H. Davis, fourth president of Stevens, the four-year 'unified science program' was introduced leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science. This move greatly expanded the school's curriculum beyond the study of Mechanical Engineering and addressed the growing needs of the science and technology workforce in the post-World War II era. As Stevens entered the 1970s, a new curriculum named Technology & Society was created to "furnish the student with the knowledge and tools necessary to conceptualize, analyze, and solve the complex interrelated problems at the interface of technology and society." Programs in urban studies, applied psychology, communications systems, computer science, environmental studies and the history of science and technology were created to address this perceived gap between science and societal needs.

In 1996, Stevens divided its academic programs into three schools: The Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering, the Wesley J. Howe School of Technology Management, and the Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts. In 2007, The Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts was later divided into the new School of Systems and Enterprises and the College of Arts and Letters. As of 2022, Stevens is organized by three academic schools and one college: The Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering, the School of Business, the School of Systems & Enterprises, and the College of Arts and Letters.