It was founded on March 23, 1980 by banker and financier Jaime Michelsen Uribe, with support from Bancolombia and leading companies of the Grancolombiano Group.
Since 2008, undergraduate programs at the Politécnico have entered a period of eight semesters, according to the vast majority of universities in developed countries, allowing for faster access to educational outreach.
The institution has a main office located in the city of Bogotá, in the neighborhood of Chapinero in an area adjacent to the Castle district.
The campus is located in the mountains among a forest of eucalyptus, which the institution has helped to reforest since the year 2011.
The Politécnico Grancolombiano is part of Ilumino Network, University System of the Américas, comprising nine universities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and Paraguay.