Established in the year 1965 as a co-ed institution, Pettigrew College prides itself in its history of 54 efficacious years of     existence, making it the oldest college and the only government college till date in Ukhrul district. The college, as such, has long been committed to providing quality education in the higher education sphere of the religion.
        The rich legacy of the college can be traced back to the vision of the founders who were the educationists, public leaders and     public at large of the Tangkhul community. Fondly named after Reverend William Pettigrew, the pioneer missionary who introduced education in the district, the college initially functioned as a private institution for 12 years and was later taken over by the government of Manipur in the year 1977. The vision and mission of the founders to provide access to quality higher education particularly for the rural Tangkhul community, so that they become active participants in the  changing and challenging world has since then come a long way.
The college is dedicate to keep pace with the progressive educational trends of higher education. It marches onward to realise and elevate the vision and value of the founders with the outstanding faculty of the college as the key strength, who are devote to providing innovative educational opportunities , promote creativity and excellency in the students. Besides academic rigor, the college stresses on the employability skills of the students and offers a free short-term course in Information Technology (IT) in addition to the core subjects, with the sole purpose of equipping and preparing students with the soft skills and technical skills vital in workplace and real world situation.