National Ilan University (NIU) is the only national university in Yilan County. It marked the highlight of this qualified promotion with projects to expedite high-level research and teaching for new generations. To expand knowledge to a wider scientific community, NIU sets the goal of internationalization as one of its top priorities.

Historically, NIU was one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Taiwan. It was founded in 1926 as Taiwan Provincial Ilan School of Agriculture and Forestry. Following the rapid economic development and industrialization in Taiwan, the school has undertaken transformation in accordance with the changing social and political environment. The school was promoted from a five-year junior college (National Ilan Institute of Agriculture and Technology) to a polytechnic college (National Ilan Institute of Technology). NIU is now an university which offers comprehensive degrees such as BA, BS, MA, MS and PhD. In 2016, NIU celebrate its 90th anniversary, a milestone in the history of higher education in Taiwan.