[5][6] The college was named after the mathematician Sir Edward Collingwood (1900–1970), who was a former Chair of the Council of Durham University.

The remnants of the Oswald House estate can be seen in the landscaped grounds and mature trees that surround the college.

Over the following years a series of funding issues and debates over the student composition of the new college meant that building on the site did not begin until August 1971.

A separate block, York, is located away from the others and consists of flats used by fellows of the College and of the Institute of Advanced Study.

During the summer of 2006, the music rooms were converted into a recording studio, with a new JCR officer position being created to run it.

In June 2011 contractors began building work on a new gymnasium on the college campus, known as the Mark Hillery Gym.

Collingwood has also recently invested in a media suite, and its latest addition is Mark Hillery Music Studios, completed opened in 2023.

The control room boasts the region's only Dolby Atmos system with 13 PMC monitors, and the centerpiece is an SSL AWS 948 Delta mixing console.

The college has a number of sports clubs and societies, for example: Collingwood has non-gowned formals, at the end of which energetic renditions of "Country Roads" are common.