UNE was founded on September 2, 1970 by a group of local doctors who were inspired with new ideas for a better education in Mexico, one of those doctors was the Dr. Jose Sierra Flores, an important surgeon of our These people were led by Dr. Jose Sierra Flores, a surgeon.
It was first named "Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas del Noreste" (Biological Sciences Institute of the Northeast), and it started with the School of Medicine named after its founder "Dr. Jose Sierra Flores"
UNE has been a pioneer in education in Tamaulipas, with different Bachelor's degrees, in pharmaceutical chemistry and biology, biological sciences, psychology, graphic design; and some Master's degrees in ecology and family therapy.
In the 1990s UNE established its preparatory school, "Prepa UNE". During this decade UNE was accredited by the Federation of Private Mexican Institutions of Higher Education (FIMPES).


In 2000, UNE started its "Modern Educational Plan 2000"; during this year UNE opened the Foreign Language Center.


In 2005, UNE received accreditation by the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES).


In 2007, the School of Medicine opened the Teaching Center of Medical Aptitudes and Skills (CEDAM), the first Medical Simulation Center in Tamaulipas. CEDAM is a teaching hospital-simulator in which students can practice medical procedures with robotic patients, improving their skills.

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In 2009, the Department of Postgraduate Education opened the Master's degree in Medical Sciences and the B-learning education, starting UNE Distance Education through Virtual-UNE.

In 2010, CEDAM was relocated to a bigger and better facility, acquiring the newest robotic equipment so that young doctors, nurses and nutritionists (students from the Department of Health Sciences) could work together at the Medical Simulation Center