Construction had begun at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in 1859, but shortly after the exterior work was completed, the Quartermaster General's corps of the Union Army occupied the building, setting up offices for the duration of the Civil War.

A new, larger building designed by Ernest Flagg was constructed in 1897 at New York Avenue and 17th Street, with the basement level dedicated to workshops and studios for the students, and an upper two floors given over to large gallery spaces.

During this time artists that taught at the school included Gene Davis, Thomas Downing,[5] Sam Gilliam, Anne Truitt,[6] Ed McGowin, William Christenberry,[7] Percy Martin and Paul Reed.

In 1985, the college was formally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.In 1999, the school was formally renamed as The Corcoran College of Art and Design and worked to further its reputation as the singular four-year arts and design institution in Washington, D.C.[4] As a museum school, students and faculty benefited from co-existing with the Corcoran Gallery with its more than 17,000 works and objects.

The annual NEXT show, staged at the end of each academic year, displayed student senior thesis projects to the greater DC community.

Students are exposed to internships with organizations including National Geographic Magazine, embassies, and White House news photographers; summer study abroad trips in Italy, Greece, and India; and visiting artists such as Annie Leibovitz, Shepard Fairey, Maya Lin, Abelardo Morell, and William Pope.