The history of the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder parallels that of the university. As early as 1874, the territorial legislative body drafted the following law in preparation for statehood:

(General Laws of the State of Colorado, Chapter CI) 2758. Sec. 12. The university shall include a classical, philosophical, normal, scientific, law and such other departments, with such courses of instruction and elective studies as the board of regents may determine, and a department of the physical sciences, and the board shall have authority to confer such degrees, and grant such diplomas and other marks of distinction, as are usually conferred and granted by other universities; and the board of regents is hereby authorized and required to establish a preparatory department, which shall be under the control of said board of regents, as are the other departments of the university. Nothing in this section shall be construed as to require the regents to establish the several departments, other than the normal and preparatory, as herein provided, until such time as in their judgment the wants and necessities of the people require it. (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-20-11, emphasis added.)

The normal (teacher preparation) department, established by law as the only mandated university-level department at the inception of the university, was the progenitor of today's School of Education. The actions of the territorial legislature in establishing the university's role in the preparation of teachers for the schools of the state suggests a strong concern for bringing liberally educated, academically strong teachers to Colorado's schools. The education faculty of the University of Colorado have been leaders in the preparation of teachers and administrators for the schools of Colorado and the nation since the appointment of Carl Besler as professor of pedagogy in 1881. (Professor Besler was the third faculty member appointed by the regents.) The first PhD in education was awarded by the university to George Clark in 1895.

The School of Education, following the direction of the state's first legislature, offered for many years a teacher preparation program based on the normal school model. The regents established the bachelor of science degree in education, based on a program of study including a strong liberal arts program; it was typically pursued by individuals wishing to teach at the elementary school level. Candidates desiring teaching positions in secondary schools generally pursued a bachelor's degree in the colleges of arts and sciences, business, or music. However, whether the candidates received a degree in education, arts and sciences, business, or music, the curriculum was always strongly based in the liberal arts, a notable exception to standard practice in institutions specifically dedicated to teacher training.

In 1982, to ensure the subject-matter knowledge of future teachers, CU-Boulder became the first institution in Colorado to eliminate its bachelor's degree in education. Since that time every Boulder student seeking elementary or secondary education licensure has been required to have a bachelor of arts degree.

In 1986, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) directed the School of Education to transfer its graduate degrees in administration to the Denver campus and to discontinue its graduate programs in guidance and counseling. The faculty, together with the campus administration, took the opportunity to build the school as a center of excellence in the profession of teaching and in research relevant to educational policy. The 1986 decision by the CCHE is regarded as a turning point that forged the school's identity and propelled it into the top tier of educational research institutions in the nation.