[3] A Commonwealth Teaching Service was approved in September 1970 to provide teachers in Canberran schools.
[5] The Canberra College offered the International Baccalaureate diploma in its curriculum until 2017 when it was discontinued for the following year.
[7] Community interest in Territory education was rising in the 1960s, especially with the increase of student admissions in the ACT.
[3] In 1966 a working party led by George Currie was convened, which they presented a report in November 1967 recommending the establishment of an autonomous education authority responsible for all government schools in the Australian Capital Territory.
[9] In that same year, a Commonwealth Teaching Service for the ACT was established in April 1972 but was first approved in September 1970.
In 1984, multiple students at Stirling College participated in a study by the Australian Institute of Criminology, concerning to understand and apply standard jury instructions there were being developed for possible use for criminal courts in New South Wales.
The school was more successful in 2012 when the median ATAR was 79.15 (above the 2012 average of 78.05) with 377 total year 12 certificates awarded to students.
Campus facilities include general use laboratories, kitchen classrooms, a gym which is connected to the main building at the Phillip Campus, and the "Asgard Theatre" which is where school assemblies are held, and a lecture theatre, which is situated across from the schools front office.
The school has its library with its computer facilities and study areas, along with a large choice of books.
[25] ACT Education Minister Chris Bourke officially opened the Canberra College Performing Arts Centre.
[26] The Canberra College Performing Arts Centre was one of many buildings in 2013 to win the 2013 Australian Capital Territory Architectural Award.
The dance studio measures at 15m by 8m, and has sprung parquet Harlequin flooring, and surround sound.
It contains an enclosed black box theatre, and set lighting rig with Strand Pitt 123/23 soft coverage and specials.
[29][30] In 2012, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher unveiled a new $14.5 million project to construct a new facility for the Canberra College which would be a part of the 2014–15 Australian Capital Territory Budget.
[29][33] The primary purpose of the program is to provide education and support for pregnant and parenting students in the ACT and surrounding regions and to allow them to bring their children to school in an adjunct childcare arrangement.
[38] The site also used to house the Eclipse Program, which focused on year 8, 9 and 10 students who did not perform well in the mainstream high school system, a Brain Gym, and a community library.
[29] Canberra College offers many subjects and units that students may wish to study either being accredited or tertiary packages.
[41] Students learning drama tour a devised theatre piece that they perform at the Adelaide Fringe.
The Commerce, Library and Social Sciences (CLASS) Faculty offer subjects for students such as accounting, business, business administration, economics, geography, legal studies, psychology, sociology and social and community work.
The Canberra College offers a unique special education unit catering students who have slight to mild intellectual disabilities.
The following topics are studied in the Sports Development course are:[49] Since the Canberra College offers music as a subject for students, the school allows students to join a musical ensemble, known as the Canberra College Jazz Band.