The establishment of our university was enacted in accordance with the Additional Article 15 added to Article 25 of Law No. 3837, which was published in the Official Gazette dated July 11, 1992, and numbered 21281. The law reads:

"Additional Article 15 – A new university named Celal Bayar University has been established in Manisa. This university consists of:

a) The newly established Faculties of Science and Letters, Engineering, and Medicine, as well as the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, which was formed by changing the name and affiliation of the Manisa Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences previously affiliated with Dokuz Eylül University and transferring it to the Rectorate; and the Faculty of Education, which was formed by transforming the Demirci School of Education, previously affiliated with Dokuz Eylül University, into a faculty and transferring it to the Rectorate.

b) The School of Tobacco Expertise, which was formed by changing the name and affiliation of the Akhisar School of Tobacco Expertise previously affiliated with Ege University and transferring it to the Rectorate; the Alaşehir Vocational School, which was previously affiliated with Ege University and transferred to the Rectorate; the School of Physical Education and Sports, formed by changing the name and affiliation of the Department of Physical Education under the Faculty of Education at Dokuz Eylül University, and the Salihli Vocational School.

c) The newly established Institutes of Social Sciences, Science, and Health Sciences, all under the Rectorate."

The origins of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences—the first higher education institution in Manisa—date back to the Manisa School of Accounting, a two-year associate degree program founded in 1975 under the Faculty of Economics and Commercial Sciences of Ege University. This school initially operated in a primary school building in the Karaköy district of Manisa. In the 1977–1978 academic year, it was renamed the School of Finance and Accounting and began offering undergraduate education. In 1987, it was transferred to Dokuz Eylül University through Law No. 3389 and became the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. In the 1988–1989 academic year, the faculty moved to its own building in the Uncubozköy district and later gained the status of a founding faculty with the establishment of Celal Bayar University.

The Faculty of Education began as the Demirci Elementary Teacher Training School on December 2, 1964. It was transformed into a Teacher High School in 1974 and renamed the Demirci Teacher High School and Education Institute in the 1975–1976 academic year. A two-year Education Institute was also established within the school. The Demirci Education Institute continued its activities under the Ministry of National Education as a training institution for primary school teachers. On July 20, 1982, it became the School of Education affiliated with Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Education under Decree Law No. 41 and Law No. 2809. In 1992, it was converted into a faculty and integrated into our university as the Faculty of Education through Law No. 3837.

Our Faculty of Sport Sciences has a long-standing history:

• From 1959 to 1970, it operated as the Physical Education and Combat Sports School under the Turkish Armed Forces.

• From 1970 to 1974, it was the National Team Training Center under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

• From 1974 to 1982, it functioned as the Manisa Academy of Youth and Sports.

• Between 1982 and 1992, it provided education as the Department of Physical Education and Sports under the Faculty of Education of Dokuz Eylül University.
  Upon the establishment of Celal Bayar University, the School of Physical Education and Sports was affiliated with our university and was later transformed into the Faculty of Sport Sciences by a Council of Ministers decision published in the Official Gazette dated November 1, 2016.

On September 10, 1992, based on a protocol signed between the Ministry of Health and the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the building of the Manisa Health Vocational High School was transferred to our university, and the School of Health Services was established there.

According to decisions of the Executive Board of Higher Education:

• On January 25, 1994, vocational schools in Ahmetli, Demirci, Gördes, Gölmarmara, Kırkağaç, Saruhanlı, and Soma were established.

• On March 7, 1994, the Köprübaşı Vocational School was established.

• On March 30, 1994, the Turgutlu Vocational School was established.

• On March 15, 1999, the Kula Vocational School was established.

• On May 26, 2000, the Akhisar Vocational School was established.

• On July 7, 2000, the Sarıgöl Vocational School was established.

The School of Health, founded by a Council of Ministers decision published in the Official Gazette dated November 2, 1996, was transformed into the Faculty of Health Sciences by a decision published on April 8, 2016.

The Akhisar School of Applied Sciences, established by a Council of Ministers decision published in the Official Gazette dated July 4, 1997, was renamed the School of Applied Sciences by another decision published on April 26, 2005.

Gölmarmara Vocational School continued its educational activities under the name Manisa Vocational School from the 2011–2012 academic year onwards and was renamed the Vocational School of Technical Sciences in 2017.

The School of Foreign Languages was founded by a Council of Ministers decision published in the Official Gazette dated November 14, 2011.
Hasan Ferdi Turgutlu Faculty of Technology was established by a decision published on March 8, 2012.
The Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture was established on May 2, 2012.
The Faculties of Theology and Business Administration were established on August 4, 2012.
The Faculty of Dentistry was established on September 10, 2012.
The Salihli Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences was founded on April 8, 2016.
The Faculty of Communication was established on November 1, 2016.

Our university carries out education, research, and health services on its main campuses in Manisa and through faculties and vocational schools located in various districts.

The names of some of our campuses were changed by the University Senate as follows:

• The Muradiye Campus was renamed Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Campus in the Senate meeting dated September 23, 2016.

• The Uncubozköy Campus was renamed Uncubozköy Health Campus in the Senate meeting dated June 7, 2018.

• The Manisa Central Campus was renamed Şehzadeler Campus in the same meeting.

• The area where Akhisar Vocational School and the School of Tobacco Expertise are located was designated Akhisar Campus.

• The campus containing the Salihli Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and the Salihli Vocational School was named Salihli 5 Eylül Campus by a Senate decision dated October 12, 2017.

Our University Research and Application Hospital began operations in 1995, following the completion of the extension building of Moris Şinasi Children's Hospital, which was transferred from the Ministry of Health through a protocol signed on April 23, 1994. Surgical units were moved to the Uncubozköy Health Campus in 2010, followed by internal medicine departments in 2013. The hospital was renamed Hafsa Sultan Research and Application Hospital by a Senate decision dated May 4, 2012.

In 1995, our university took over the Manisa Mevlevihane (Whirling Dervish Lodge) and Darüşşifa (Ottoman hospital) from the General Directorate of Foundations under the condition of restoring them. The Darüşşifa was opened as the Hafsa Sultan Medical History Museum on November 30, 2013, while the Mevlevihane was restored in its original form and opened to visitors.

The area and buildings formerly belonging to the Agricultural Supply Agency near the Manisa Central Campus were transferred to the university in January 2000 and converted into new service units.

In the University Senate meeting held on January 9, 2015, it was decided that the name of our university would be changed to Manisa Celal Bayar University. This change was officially enacted as part of an omnibus bill passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 2016.