The earliest antecedent of UNICACH is the Industrial School of Chiapas, created in 1893.
In 1944, the Sciences and Arts Institute of Chiapas (ICACH) was created, bringing secondary, preparatory and normal schools under one roof and promptly adding schools of accounting, nursing, social work, law and fine arts.
In 1951, ICACH became a founding member of the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES).
Promptly, new programs were added in topographical engineering, odontology, psychology, biology and nutrition.
In January 2013, UNICACH signed on a radio station, XHUCAH-FM 102.5 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.