Massey University was founded as an agricultural college in 1927 in Palmerston North, and in 1964 it became a university. In 1993 Massey established a new green-field campus at Albany on the north shore of Auckland and in 1999 established its Wellington campus on the site of the old Wellington Polytechnic.
The University's commitment to carbon management and reduction is embedded within its Sustainability Framework. In May 2019 the Senior Leadership Team approved 2030 as the date by which the university would be net zero carbon.