The Boston College Mathematics Institute was established in 1957 as a unit separate from the Mathematics Department to assist in the national effort to improve content and instructional practice in mathematics at the pre-college level. In the 1960s and 1970s, the institute's primary emphasis was on providing veteran teachers with renewal programs to update and deepen their backgrounds in mathematics. The majority of the programs were Academic Year, Inservice, and Summer Institutes funded by the National Science Foundation. Concurrently, Institute staff developed some supplementary instructional materials for use with students and teachers in grades K–12.

Today, the Mathematics Institute offers professional development opportunities for teachers during the summers at Boston College and other sites. The Institute staff continue to produce instructional materials for teachers and students in elementary, middle, and secondary schools; staff members also collaborate with teachers in schools and school districts in matters of professional development and curriculum.