Rochester Community and Technical College was founded in 1915 on a motion by Dr. Charles Mayo to the Rochester School Board. Rochester is Minnesota's oldest - and one of the nation's oldest - original community colleges. The 2005-2006 academic year marks its 90th anniversary.

The college serves approximately 7,500 students in credit-based enrollments and 3,000 in noncredit courses.

• Rochester consistently lands near or on the top of several of the nation's "Most Livable Cities" lists.
• Rochester is Minnesota's third-largest city and home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic and IBM.
• Rochester had the highest concentration of high-tech businesses in the United States and had the highest number of patents in the nation filed per 100,000 residents during the last 10 years.
• The college offers more than 70 creditbased programs with 100-plus credential options in the areas of liberal arts, allied health, business, services and technical career pathways.
• Of the 32 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Rochester ranked fifth for online credits taken in fall semester 2004.
• University Center Rochester is a campus serving approximately 20,000 credit and noncredit students annually. It is the home of Rochester Community and Technical College, University of Minnesota Rochester and Winona State University - Rochester Center. Often referred to as 3-2-1, the center is composed of three institutions: two public higher education systems - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota - and one campus called University Center Rochester.