Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a comprehensive community and technical college with five southwestern Minnesota campuses: Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone, and Worthington and three learning centers in Fairmont, Luverne and Marshall Minnesota. Students have the opportunity to earn an Associate Degree, Diploma, or Certificate in more than 60 disciplines.

The college has a long and proud history, 70+ years, of providing highly specialized technical and liberal arts/transfer majors to students from throughout the region. Our graduates are successful and can be found in area businesses and industries across southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, South Dakota, and beyond. On January 1, 1997, Worthington Community College and Southwestern Technical College merged to become Minnesota West Community and Technical College.

The four campuses that comprised Southwestern Technical College began as local area vocational schools. The individual campuses have a history dating back 40 years. The campuses were originally under the jurisdiction of the local school district and offered programs that served the local and regional economy. On July 1, 1985 the four then area technical institutes at Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, and Pipestone were officially merged to form Southwestern Technical Institute. The Minnesota State Legislature renamed all technical institutes, technical colleges on July 1, 1989. Southwestern Technical College was a member institution of the former Minnesota Technical College System and on July 1, 1995 became one of 32 member institutions of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

The former Worthington Community College was established in 1936 as an institution of higher education by and under the jurisdiction of the local school district to meet the post secondary education needs of the community and surrounding area. The first campus was located in the Worthington High School and in 1966 the college moved to its current, 76 acre campus located to the north of Lake Okabena. In 1964, Worthington Junior College was transferred to the State Junior College Board and was named Worthington State Junior College. In 1973 the name was changed to Worthington Community College and the college was placed under the jurisdiction of the Minnesota Community College System. On July 1, 1995 Worthington Community College became a member institution of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.