Construction of Keyham College on the dockside in the Keyham suburb of Plymouth started in February 1879, at a cost of £30,000 and opened in July 1880 as Training Schools for Engineer Students, replacing the hulk of HMS Marlborough which had been used as accommodation for engineering students since 1877.

The Selborne-Fisher scheme of 1903 meant that engineering and deck officers received the same basic training and led the closure of the college in 1910.

However it reopened in July 1913 and on the outbreak of the First World War the following year the students were sent off to serve on warships and the college turned over to special entry cadet training.

In addition, a small number of seaman branch officers read for undergraduate arts degrees at the college.

This continued until 1995 with the final Manadon students completing their 3rd year of BEng or BA degrees at Plymouth University in 1996.