Agusan Trade School, the old name of Northern Mindanao College of Arts, Science and Technology (NMCAST) was established in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte (now Cabadbaran City) under Republic Act No. 948 which was approved on June 23, 1953. The school officially opened on July 1, 1954. It offered four trade courses for boys. The school started with 15 teachers and employees and 190 students who were all boys. For a year, classes were held at the Cabadbaran Central School Grandstand. The tools used by students were either borrowed from the elementary shop classes or personally bought by the shop teachers. Alejandro P. Dabuet, the first school principal, ran the school until 1957.

     The original school buildings which were made of bamboo slats, coconut trunks and nipa roofing, were gradually replaced with semi-permanent buildings.

     Ten years after its establishment, the school was converted into Northern Mindanao School of Arts and Trades (NMSAT) under Republic Act No. 3630. The school was granted permission to open trade-mechanical education courses. The school principal then was Teodolfo Despojo. The principal item was reclassified to Vocational School Administration from 1973 – 1992.

     Republic Act No. 7517 which was approved on May 21, 1992 converted the school into Northern Mindanao College of Arts, Science and Technology (NMCAST). With the conversion of the school into a college, two degree courses were initially opened in 1995 in addition to the existing two-year courses. The secondary department was turned into a laboratory school, in accordance with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Order No. 4 and 8 thus, there was a gradual decrease in enrollment in the high school until it reached the 500 mark.

     From October 2000, the Northern Mindanao College of Arts, Science and Technology (NMCAST) in Cabadbaran was integrated with the Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology (NORMISIST) and known as the NORMISIST Cabadbaran Campus.

     On July 27, 2009, Congress of the Philippines passed into law Republic Act No. 9854 which was subsequently signed by the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on December 16, 2009, effectively fusing together Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology in Butuan City and Northern Mindanao College of Arts, Science and Technology in Cabadbaran City into Caraga State University retaining the Butuan City branch at its main campus.