UCC was founded in 1966 by Dr. Pedro T. Orata with the support of Mayor Amadeo R. Perez Jr. and the Sangguniang Bayan using the proceeds of the 1966 town fiesta celebration.

Short-term courses in agriculture and retail business for adults were also offered to assist students in enhancing their earning capabilities.

Over the years, the college grew and expanded its educational services by offering new courses, such as Midwifery (1973), Nursing (1975), Computer Education (1990), Graduate School (1995), Commerce and Accountancy (1996), and Caregiver Training Program (2002).

Despite its limited resources, UCC proved to be one of the top-performing higher learning institutions in the fields of education, nursing, and midwifery.

The university continues to attract students from neighboring provinces, such as Abra, Aurora, Isabela, Ilocos, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Quezon, Mt.