Southwest University of Political Science and Law was founded in 1953 on the basis of Department of Political Science and Law in Southwest University of People's Revolution by merging from Chongqing University Law School, School of Political Science and Law from Sichuan University and other five universities legal departments, during the national higher education institution modulations in 1952.

        In 1978, the University was accredited as the key university by the State Council and was the only one out the five key university of Ministry of Justice. In 1995, the former Southwest Institute of Political Science and Law was renamed as Southwest University of Political Science and Law with the approval of State Education Commission. The campus occupies 2000 mu, which were consisted of the Sha Ping Ba campus and the Yu Bei new campus.

        Presently, the university accommodates 12 colleges including four legal colleges and college of criminal and reconnaissance, college of politics and public affairs, college of management, college of foreign languages, college of economics, college of news and media, college of adult education, and college of legal application. A concerted education system has been established with the domination of legal science and supported by philosophy, economics, management, journalism, and foreign languages discipline, which undertook a balanced development. The economic law is designated as the national key discipline, which is the only national legal key discipline in the western regions. Also, there are other six provincial (municipal) and ministry key discipline. There University has four Jurum Doctor Programs, which is the first one authorized to confer the doctor degree in western regions. In 2003, it was designated to confer the doctoral degrees for the primary key legal programs by the Evaluation Committee of Academic Degrees of the State Council. At the same time it is approved to admit doctoral and master candidates in 10 secondary legal disciplines. The University is approved by the State Council Post Doctor Administration Evaluation committee as the unique university to establish the first legal post-doctor station in Western country.

        In addition, the University has 17 master degree programs Up to now, the University has grown to be one of the most nationally influential legal education bases for the advanced legal personnel training, the most significant and most comprehensive institution of higher learning in the Western Region of China.