| 1886-87 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1887-88 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1888-89 | Founder member of Football League |
|
| Football League champions |
|
| F.A. Cup Winners |
| 1889-90 | Football League champions (2nd time) |
| 1890-91 | Football League runners-up |
| 1891-92 | Football League runners-up |
| 1892-93 | Football League runners-up |
|
| F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1893-94 | Retained status after Test Match (Preston North End 4 Notts County 0) |
| 1901 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1903-04 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1904-05 | Football League runner-up |
| 1912 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1912-13 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1914 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1914-15 | Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1920-21 | F.A. Cup semi-finalists |
| 1921-22 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1925 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1933-34 | Football League Division Two runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1936-37 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1937-38 | F.A. Cup Winners (2nd time) |
| 1939-40 | Football League programme abandoned due to outbreak of war |
| 1949 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1950-51 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 1952-53 | Football League runner-up, lost title on goal average |
| 1953-54 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1956-57 | Missed League runner-up place on goal average |
| 1957-58 | Football League runner-up |
| 1961 | Relegated to Division Two |
| 1963-64 | F.A. Cup runner-up |
| 1970 | Relegated to Division Three |
| 1970-71 | Football League Division Three Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division Two |
| 1973-74 | One point deducted for fielding an ineligble player |
|
| Relegated to Division Three |
| 1977-78 | Promoted to Division Two (on goal average) |
| 1981 | Relegated to Division Three on goal difference |
| 1985 | Relegated to Division Four |
| 1986-87 | Football League Division Four runner-up |
|
| Promoted to Division Three |
| 1988-89 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Preston North End 1 Port Vale |
|
| 1, Port Vale 3 Preston North End 1 - Agg 2-4) |
| 1992-93 | Division Three re-designated Division Two on formation of F A |
|
| Premier League |
|
| Relegated to Division Three |
| 1993-94 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Torquay United 2 Preston North |
|
| End 0, Preston North End 4 Torquay United 1 - Agg 4-3, F Wycombe |
|
| Wanderers 4 Preston North End 2 @ Wembley) |
| 1994-95 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Preston North End 0 Bury 1, |
|
| Bury 1 Preston North End 0 - Agg 0-2) |
| 1995-96 | Football League Division Three Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division Two |
| 1998-99 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Preston North End 1 Gillingham 1, |
|
| Gillingham 1 Preston North End 0 - Agg 1-2) |
| 1999-00 | Football League Division Two Champions |
|
| Promoted to Division One |
| 2000-01 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Birmingham City 1 Preston North End |
|
| 0, Preston North End 2 Birmingham City 1 - Agg 4-2, Preston North |
|
| End won 4-2 on penalties, F Bolton Wanderers 3 Preston North End 0 |
|
| @ Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) |
| 2004-05 | Division One renamed "Football League Championship" |
|
| Play-offs (SF Preston North End 2 Derby County 0, Derby County 0 |
|
| Preston North End 0 - Agg 2-0, F Preston North End v West Ham |
|
| United @ Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) |
| 2005-06 | Not promoted after play-offs (SF Leeds United 1 Preston North End, |
|
| Preston North End 0 Leeds United 2 - Agg 1-3) |
