Jemisin was born in Iowa City, Iowa as Nora K. Jemisin, and grew up in New York City and Mobile, Alabama. She lived in Massachusetts for ten years and then moved to New York City.[10] Jemisin attended Tulane University from 1990 to 1994, where she received a B.S. in psychology.[10] She went on to earn her Master of Education from the University of Maryland College Park.