Since its inception in 1976, the college has traditionally been held at Nathiagali except for the period 1981-1984 when the venue was temporarily shifted to Islamabad.

The idea of organizing a college on regular basis came from distinguished Nobel Laureate, Professor Abdus Salam who suggested in 1974 that an international forum for scientists from developing countries be organized to encourage greater communication and flow of ideas among them. He also offered the assistance and co-sponsorship of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission readily accepted Professors Salam's idea and started work for its implementation.

The First College of the series was held in the summer of 1976 at Nathiagali which lent it the name. The idea proved to be a big success and the College has now evolved into an institution and become a prestigious event in the scientific calendar of this part of the world. This College is perhaps the only one of its kind to be organized in a developing country, covering a wide range of topics of science and emphasizing their applications to the contemporary needs of the society.