The School of Transportation at Jilin University traces its origins to China's first degree program in Automobile Operation and Repair, established in 1956. In May 1992, with the approval of the former Ministry of Machinery Industry and the Ministry of Transport, the School of Transportation at Jilin University of Technology was founded, making it one of the earliest established and leading transportation schools among China's universities. Following the merger that formed Jilin University in June 2000, it was renamed the School of Transportation, Jilin University.

The School is authorized to confer doctoral and master’s degrees in five disciplines: Vehicle Operation Engineering, Transportation Planning and Management, Transportation Information Engineering and Control, Highway and Railway Engineering, and Low-Altitude Airspace Planning and Management. In 1995, with the approval of the State Council, it established China’s first postdoctoral research station covering highway, railway, and water transportation engineering. In 2000, the School was granted the authority to confer doctoral degrees in the first-level discipline of Transportation Engineering. In 2007, Transportation Information Engineering and Control was designated a National Key Discipline (Cultivation). In 2014, Vehicle Operation Engineering, Transportation Planning and Management, and Transportation Information Engineering and Control were recognized as Key Disciplines of Jilin Province. In 2025, the doctoral degree authorization for the second-level discipline of Low-Altitude Airspace Planning and Management was approved. The School offers three undergraduate majors: Transportation (with concentrations in Vehicle Operation Engineering and Transportation Planning and Management), Road, Bridge and River Crossing Engineering, and Traffic Engineering. Both Transportation and Traffic Engineering have been selected as National First-Class Undergraduate Programs.

Currently, the School has 110 faculty and staff members, including one former member of the State Council's Discipline Appraisal Group, two experts in receipt of Special Government Allowances from the State Council, one National Young Talent, 39 doctoral supervisors, and 36 professors. Faculty holding doctoral degrees account for 97 percent of the teaching staff. The School enrolls 1,465 full-time students, comprising 77 doctoral students, 252 master's students, and 1,136 undergraduates.

The School comprises four academic departments: the Department of Vehicle Operation Engineering, the Department of Transportation Planning and Management, the Department of Road and Bridge Engineering, and the Department of Transportation Information Engineering and Control. It operates three teaching laboratories: the Vehicle Operation Engineering Laboratory, the Intelligent Transportation Systems Laboratory, and the Road and Bridge Engineering Laboratory. It also hosts three research institutes—the Institute of Automotive Transportation Engineering, the Institute of Modern Logistics, and the Institute of Structural Engineering—as well as four research centers: the Intelligent Transportation Systems Research and Development Center, the Jilin Provincial Intelligent Transportation Engineering Research Center, the Automotive Traffic Safety Research Center, and the Intelligent Transportation Perception and Control Research Center.

Through sustained investment under China’s “211 Project”, “985 Project”, and the Double First-Class Initiative, the School has significantly enhanced its teaching and research infrastructure. Its research facilities have a total asset value exceeding RMB 60 million. The School has established a comprehensive suite of advanced experimental platforms, including intelligent vehicle diagnostic systems, transportation environment monitoring systems, intelligent traffic monitoring systems, satellite navigation and positioning systems, bridge structural health monitoring systems, and production logistics simulation systems. These facilities provide outstanding support for education and research.

Since its establishment, the School has undertaken more than 700 national, ministerial, and provincial research projects. It has received more than 40 national, provincial, and ministerial science and technology awards, including three Second Prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. The School has been granted more than 700 invention patents and has published over 60 academic monographs, textbooks, and other scholarly works. Its faculty members have published more than 1,800 academic papers, over 1,300 of which have been indexed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) or the Engineering Index (EI). The School attaches great importance to international academic exchange and cooperation and has established collaborative partnerships with more than ten overseas universities.

Over more than six decades of development, the School has significantly strengthened its research capabilities and has established a distinguished academic reputation. In such fields as intelligent transportation systems, intelligent and sustainable vehicle technologies, road and bridge safety monitoring and maintenance, and transportation system planning and logistics management, the School is well positioned to conduct research at the forefront of international research. The School possesses the capacity to undertake major national and industry research initiatives and to cultivate high-level, interdisciplinary professionals. Through sustained research on key technical challenges—including intelligent transportation systems, intelligent vehicle technologies, sustainable transportation systems, traffic control and safety, energy conservation and emission reduction for transportation equipment, semi-rigid asphalt pavement structures, bridge design and construction, and intelligent logistics management systems—the School continues to maintain a leading position in transportation research in China.

Over the years, the School has made remarkable contributions to education, scientific research, public service, cultural innovation, and international cooperation. Looking ahead, the School will continue to pursue excellence in education, research, and innovation. Guided by its motto—"Integrating Knowledge with Practice, Pursuing Excellence with Perseverance"—the School remains committed to cultivating outstanding transportation professionals, serving the nation's strategic needs, and advancing the science and technology of transportation.