Paine College was founded in 1882 as the result of an unusual collaboration betweeen Black and White Methodists Episcopal Church and Atticus Haygood, a Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church South (now United Methodist) worked to establish The Paine Institute to train preachers and teachers to educate the newly freed men and women. In Janurary 1884, classes began in rented quarters at 10th and Broad Streets in Augusta, Georgia. In 1903 Paine Institute was recharted as The Paine College.

The College's Tradition of Excellence continues today through present-day students who are forging their way in an ever-changing, fast-paced global community. In an effort to meet the challenge, students engage in an array of activities, including international studies, leardersip training, and scholarly activities.

Supported by the United Methodist Church, Paine College is a Historically Black, private, charch-related, four-year, co-educational college which, through its residential, commuter, and off-site units, strives to develop self-sufficient and productive citizens, commited to intellectual pursuits and aesthetic appreciation in a global society. Since its founding in 1882, Paine College has continued to prepare students for leadership in the local, national, and international communities.