The college was established in 1902 and was the only higher education institution in the county of Herefordshire throughout its existence.

[1] The college, which was a constituent college of the University of Birmingham, operated for many years before closing in 1978 after cost-cutting measures by the Government of the time which included a reduction in the number of teacher training programmes.

The Government was also keen to restructure the way the subject was studied, encouraging universities to offer teacher training rather than specialist colleges.

At the time of its closure the college was the oldest local education authority teacher training college in the United Kingdom.

[2] Cornish writer D. M. Thomas was an English lecturer at Hereford College of Education from 1963 until he was made redundant upon its closure in 1978.