St. Ann's College of Education is a premier College of Teacher Education in India. The College started in 1943, is the first private training college in Karnataka State. The management of the college is vested in The Apostolic Carmel Education Society, Karnataka registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI 1860. S.No. 4 of 1957, enjoying the Minority Rights according to the Government Order No. DPAR 28 SBC 76 dated, 1st October 1977, applicable to recruitment of employees and admission of students.

Dr. Lakshmanswamy Mudaliar, the then Vice Chancellor and later the Chairman of the Mudaliar Education Commission visited St. Ann's, for the affiliation of the college. He saw the functioning of St. Ann's Teacher Training Institute (for elementary education) started in 1890, and exclaimed, St Anns College Picture“If your secondary school educated teacher trainees are so good how much better your graduate teacher trainees will be…”

St. Ann's College of Education, is affiliated to Mangalore University, covering a total area of eight acres, has an intake capacity of 100 students in B.Ed., 30 in M.Ed. and 30 in PGDCA programmes. The institution has got UGC recognition under 2f in 1981 and under 12B in 1993. The college celebrated its Golden Jublilee in 1993 with an excellent track record as published in the College Souvenir. The Automomous status is granted to the college from the Academic year 2007-2008.

The Mangalore University has recognized the College as the “Research Centre’ in 2008 to offer Ph.D. programme in Education.

The India Gandhi National Open University has accepted the college as its ‘Partner Institute’ under Convergence Scheme.

The College runs a hostel on the campus, with mess facilities for the students of the College.