Founded in 1976 in Sydney, Australia, by Tom Misner, SAE was purchased in 2012 by Navitas Limited,[1] a private Australian education services company.

In 2022 Navitas sold SAE operations in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe to AD Education, part of Ardian a France-based independent private equity investment company.

In the mid-1980s, SAE began opening colleges outside of Australia, including locations in London, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin, Auckland, and Glasgow.

In 2000s, locations were opened in Liverpool, Madrid, Brussels, Bangkok, Leipzig, Barcelona, Dubai, Amman, Cape Town, Istanbul, and Serbia.

In the 2000s SAE also acquired QANTM, an Australian production, media and training company, and relocated its head office to Littlemore Park, Oxford, and its headquarters to Byron Bay, Australia.

This decision places SAE in an elite group of just seven University Colleges in Australia – and the only one delivering creative media education nationally.

Energy Groove Radio showcases local and international shows, produced by a mix of DJs, presenters, and SAE students.

in London, Liverpool, Leamington Spa, and Glasgow, providing industry-focused 2-year degrees validated by the University of Hertfordshire across eight subject areas – Audio, Content Creation & Online Marketing, Film, Game Art Animation, Games Programming, Music Business, Visual Effects, and Web Development.

[10] SAE Institute became an associate member of GuildHE in July 2013,[11] one of the two recognised representative bodies for higher education in the UK.