The College of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology and Extension was established in the 1993/1994 academic session as one of the foremost colleges of the then Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike. The College, like the other foundation colleges of the University, took off in 1994 in a single department – the Department of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology and Extension. In 1996, the single department was split into two namely, the Department of Agricultural Economics and the Department of Rural Sociology and Extension.
In 2003/2004, the Agribusiness and Management Programme was commenced in the College before an autonomous College of Agricultural Business and Financial Management was created in 2004/2005 session.
In 2004/2005 academic session, the Department of Agricultural Education was created and hosted by the College until it metamorphosed into the College of Agriculture and Science Education. During the 2012/2013 academic session, the Department of Agribusiness and Management was relocated to the College from the College of Management Sciences, thus bringing the number of Departments to three.