Baguio Colleges, as the University of the Cordilleras was earlier known, pioneered in tertiary education in the mountain highlands of the Cordillera region amidst devastation in and around Baguio City after the Second World War.

Today, the University of the Cordilleras caters to more than 18,000 students coming from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Regions I and II, neighboring provinces of Luzon. In addition, UC has the largest population of international students among HEIs in Baguio City represented by 37 nationalities. Programs offered now range from basic education to graduate studies, law, arts and sciences, business and accountancy, nursing, teacher education, information technology and computer science, hospitality and tourism, and criminal justice.