In 1987 a plan to create an extensive mobility scheme for higher education was approved by the European Community (EC). One part of this was the Erasmus programme - for students in order to provide the opportunity to spend part of their studies abroad.

In 1989 the Erasmus Bureau invited 32 former Erasmus Students for an evaluation meeting in Gent, Belgium. This meeting was a starting point for Erasmus Student Network.

On 16th of October 1989, the first section using the name Erasmus Student Network, was founded in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Following that, ESN sections were founded in various European universities, and with financial support from the EC, in October, 1990 the meeting for the official founding of ESN International was organised in Copenhagen, Denmark with 49 participants from almost all member states of the EC. Desiree Majoor from Utrecht, Netherlands was the first president in ESN history.

By 1994 ESN already had 60 sections in 14 countries and it was growing year by year.

19 years after the creation, ESN network consists of 280 sections in 32 European countries as well as in Azerbaijan.

In September 2005, ESN established an official seat in Brussels, where now five Board members of ESN plus the ESN Secretary are working full time. ESN House is a place where the Board lives and where the ESN volunteers can stay while exploring the European capital.

The interest among students to spend part of their studies abroad is continuously increasing. As the Bologna declaration, signed by European Ministers of Education in 1999, states the aim to reach 3 million exchange students by the year 2013. Nowadays, when more exchange programmes are being created, ESN continues to assist not only those who are abroad as Erasmus, but all the exchange students, also those from Asia and Americas.