C.E Workman was, in 1906, the first principal of the Cavite intermediate school. In 1915, the school had its first Filipino principal, Mariano Mondero. The emphasis, then, was on vocational agriculture for boys, and domestic science for girls. In 1918, the name of the school was changed to "Indang Farm School".

As enrollment increased, the school site was expanded through the land donations of the citizens of Indang, including Don Severino delas Alas, Secretary of Interior in the Aguinaldo cabinet, and Francisco Ocampo. The school was renamed Indang Rural High School, during the incumbency of principal, Simeon Madlangcay. It first offered a secondary course in vocational agriculture in 1923, and in Home Economics in 1927.

In recognition of the generosity of Don Severino delas Alas "to the community, to the province of Cavite and to the nation", the name of the institution was changed to Don Severino National Agricultural School, in 1958, by congressional action. The name was retained up to 1964, when it was converted into a state college, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3917. Under this Act, the school was given its own charter, and became known as Don Severino Agricultural College (DSAC).

In 2002, Cavite College of Fisheries (CACOF) in Naic, and Cavite College of Arts and Trade (CCAT) in Rosario, were integrated with Cavite State University. Cavite City Campus was launched, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed for the establishment of the Carmona campus.

Dr. Divinia C. Chavez is the current president of the university.