In 2011, La Cité ranked first among the 24 Ontario colleges in terms of student satisfaction, graduate employment rate, usefulness of knowledge and skills acquired, overall quality of learning experiences, and overall quality of services; according to the results of an annual survey by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

In August 1988, the Ontario Cabinet approved, in principle, the creation of a French-language college with an exclusive mandate to deliver services in French.

[citation needed] La Cité opened its doors to 2,300 students in September 1990, in temporary facilities on St-Laurent Blvd in Ottawa.

In 1993, the college purchased, from the Department of Public Works of Canada, the land on which sat the former Carson School of Languages, contiguous to Aviation Parkway.

La Cité also has a satellite campus in Hawkesbury, an Eastern Ontario town about 100 km (62 mi) from Ottawa.

The college also offers apprenticeship programs, in French, in the construction, motive power, service, and industrial sectors.

Internationally, the college has several partnerships with institutions in other countries to transfer expertise through technical assistance and training programs.

The Foundation of La Cité offers hundreds of scholarships to college students, including 250 entrance awards.