The institution began as the Jeanes School — a Jeanes Training Centre opened to prepare community teachers. It was one of the earliest teacher training establishments in the region, rooted in a mission to develop local education capacity.

The school was affiliated to the University of Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia and renamed Chalimbana Teacher Training College, offering training for both primary and secondary school teachers across the region.

The college transitioned to an exclusively in-service institution, serving practising primary school teachers and administrators. It was renamed NISTCOL (National In-Service Teachers' College), reflecting its new mandate.

The Advanced Primary Course (APC) and Advanced Industrial Arts (AIA) were introduced as one-year upgrading programmes for primary school teachers who held the necessary school certificate qualifications.

A Diploma in Basic Education specialising in Science, Mathematics and English was introduced. In 1995, this programme was affiliated to the University of Zambia (UNZA) under the name Secondary Teachers' Diploma.

A Diploma in Education Management by Distance Learning was introduced, extending access to professional development for educators across Zambia. This programme continues today as the Education Leadership and Management course.

NISTCOL was declared a university by the Zambian Government in 2011. The formal transformation into Chalimbana University was effected in 2013 through Statutory Instrument Number 111 of 2013, followed by an official inauguration. Degree programmes were subsequently introduced alongside the existing diploma offerings.

Chalimbana University now comprises nine schools offering a broad and balanced range of academic qualifications that are highly sought after by employers. The University continues to harness its distributed strengths — fostering innovation and creativity as it addresses the national priorities outlined in Zambia's 8th National Development Plan.