School of Economics and Management was founded in 1982 as a department of transportation management.In 2003, the Department of Transportation Management was divided into two colleges: School of Finance and Economics and School of Management which were merged as the current School of Economics and Management in 2015. It began to enroll undergraduates in 1982 and obtained the first-class discipline master's degree authorization point in  1998, the first-class discipline doctor's degree authorization point in 2011. It is one of the more than 120 colleges and universities in China that enrolls doctor of management.

As of July 2020, Chongqing Jiaotong University SEM has 176 faculty members, including 36 professors and 54 associate professors; 1 expert enjoying the special allowance of the State Council; 6 academic and technical leaders and reserve candidates of Chongqing Municipality and the Ministry of Transport; 24 National Association directors and executive directors, 36 professional practicing teachers and 2 editorial board members of international journals. The college has 1 first-class discipline doctoral program (Management Science and Engineering), 2 first-class discipline master's programs (Management Science and Engineering, Business Administration), 3 second-level discipline master's programs (Technical Economy and Management, Enterprise Management, Accounting), 3 professional degree programs (Project Management, Logistics Engineering, MBA), and 10 undergraduate majors; there are 3800 undergraduate students and 310 master's degree students.

The college has an Economic Management Experimental Teaching Center: Management Simulation Laboratory and Traffic Economic Management Experimental Laboratory; A provincial key laboratory-Intelligent Logistics Network; 2 key humanities and social sciences research bases including Chongqing Port Logistics and Shipping Development Research Center ( provincial and ministerial level) and a provincial Research Center of Western Transportation and Economic and Social Development; A provincial Internet of Things Technology Application Research Center Based on Integration of Information Technology and Industrialization, Chongqing Transportation Big Data Application Research Center; A  school Sustainable Construction and Risk Management Research Center and other research institutions.  

The college's scientific research and social services are mainly focused on the following fields: resources and strategic management, information management and information system development, infrastructure construction and operation management, logistics transportation and supply chain management. In the past five years, it has completed more than 180 national, provincial, and local government and enterprise consulting projects, with a total amount of more than 28 million yuan. The faculties have published more than 610 academic papers, 47 textbooks and monographs including 12 written in English. It has won more than 30 Provincial and Ministerial Science and Technology Progress Award, as well as Humanities and Social Sciences Awards and National Association Awards. Its research on freight transportation, logistics & supply chain and traffic construction project management has a wide influence in the academic community and the industry.