The College is a public institution of higher learning and is 50% subsidised by the Government for its recurrent and capital expenditure. The other 50% is borne by the Trustees.

The vision of the founding fathers was to establish an institution of higher learning for young Malaysians who have, for one reason or another, been deprived of the opportunity to seek further education, as well as to meet the rising demand from the private sector for trained professional, sub-professional and technical personnel in the task of nation building.

The College started with the commencement of classes in the School of Pre-University Studies in 1969, followed by the School of Business Studies in 1971. In 1972, School of Technology, School of Arts and Science and Extra-Mural Studies Department were established. The School of Social Science and Humanities was established in 1999.

From an initial intake of 764 students in 1969, the student enrolment of the College stands at 26,000. Today, the College operates from its Main Campus in Kuala Lumpur and five Branch Campuses in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah.

In 1997, the College established the Centre for Continuing Professional Education (CPE). This Centre is registered as a Training Provider under the PROLUS Scheme, Human Resource Development Berhad, Ministry of Human Resources, and play an important role in helping members of the public, especially working adults, alumni and members of the public to upgrade, update their knowledge and to obtain new skills to keep up with technology and development in their respective professions.

The College is one of the country’s major tertiary education institutions with modern teaching and support facilities. It has a strong tradition of professional and sub-professional education and has established an international reputation for its high quality and wide range of courses offered.