The College of Engineering (COE) was formally established in 1986 although it has its beginnings in 1982 when civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering started as curriculum offerings of the then MMSU Institute of Technology (IT). The courses were offered both in Laoag and Batac campuses under the supervision of the IT dean.

On May 29, 1985, the three-degree programs ceased to be supervised by IT and were called engineering degree programs. The program’s curricula were then revised to suit the requisites of the board of civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering and the demands of the engineering profession as a whole.

It was in 1986 when the College of Engineering and Technology was established and engineering students and faculty were transferred to the Batac campus.

The college was renamed College of Engineering in 1993 and more engineering courses were offered: metallurgical, mining, computer, chemical, and electronics, and communications.

With the advent of new technologies and innovations including opportunities in the field of material science and engineering, the Ceramics Engineering program was offered as a new program added to the existing engineering programs of COE on June 1, 1993.

In 2010, the College welcomed the transfer of Agricultural Engineering from the then College of Agriculture and Forestry to the College of Engineering.

The college has been providing relevant and quality engineering education that produces graduates who perform remarkably in agricultural, chemical, civil, electrical, electronics, and mechanical engineer licensure examinations.

Several graduates have garnered places in the top 20 of their respective licensure examinations. Likewise, several programs were awarded top performers in licensure examinations.