It is mandated to primarily offer higher professional, technical instructions for special purposes and promote research and extension services, advanced studies and progressive leadership in education, agriculture, fishery, engineering, arts and sciences, short-term vocational-technical and other continuing courses as may be relevant.

The school started offering post secondary courses in 1974 and had been an affiliate off campus institute of the Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon from 1979 to 1984.

Philip T. Tan, the City Mayor of Tangub at that time, conceived the idea of converting TANAIS into a state college.

Learning the amendment, Mayor Tan and Mr. Numeriano L. Gilbolingo and conferred with Congresswoman Herminia M. Ramiro to find the constitutional ground and had bill vetoed by President Fidel V. Ramos.

By December 2000, Congressman Ramiro, Mayor Philip T. Tan, wife Jennifer Wee Tan and Mr. Numeriano L. Gilbolingo who represented Administrator Apolonio S. Vidallo successfully defended the conversion of Tangub Agro-Industrial School into Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology (NMSC) before the Senate Committee on Education chaired by the Honorable Sen. Teresita Aquino Oreta with the endorsement of Dr. Ester A. Garcia, Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education.

Dr. Zenaida G. Gersana was then designated by the Commission on Higher Education as the Officer-In-Charge and the Board of Trustees (BOT) was created to serve as its governing body.

The college occupies a total of 29 hectares campus site traversed by the barangay road leading to Panguil Bay, an area rich in marine resources with vast potentials suitable for home and industrial uses.

Philip T. Tan as College President in order to head the call to go back to public service as Mayor of Tangub City, Dr. Ricardo E. Rotoras, the visionary and dynamic President of Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) was designated by the Board of Trustees as Officer In-Charge of the college in March 2010 by virtue of BOT Resolution No.

With the active and participative leadership of Dr. Rotoras, the college hurdled its share of challenges and the second release of the DOST financial assistance was undertaken.

On September 6, 2012, Dr. Jennifer W. Tan was unanimously elected and appointed by the Board of Trustees as second President of the college by virtue of BOT Resolution No.

[3] NMSC's academic programs operate on a semester calendar beginning in early June and ending in late March.