United College of Education is located in the second largest city of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, along the Old Victoria Falls Road. The campus with its unique buildings is nestled on the western edge of the city, six kilometers from the city centre. It occupies a tranquil site far from the sounds and activities of the city. The college was founded in 1968 after a realization that the small rural training schools which were run by the churches were grossly incapacitated in terms of resources, facilities and infrastructure to effectively develop a student to become a teacher. The churches which amalgamated in this dream were: Methodist, Church of Christ, Anglican Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church. Roman Catholic, Salvation Army and United Congregational Church of  Southern Africa.

The college was first housed at Msiteli  Primary School (now Msiteli Secondary School) and moved to the present site in 1970. Immediately after independence, in 1982, the churches donated the college to the new government and it then became a government institution.

Like other government colleges which train teachers, United College of Education is an associate college of the University of Zimbabwe. As the college community, we are proud to be associated with this heritage and we remain firmly committed to carry to fruition the vision of the churches and partners.