Mohawk Valley Community College began as the New York State Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences at Utica in October of 1946. Operations began at the Utica Country Day School, a renovated grade school on Genesee Street in New Hartford. The Institute was part of a state educational experiment after World War II, designed to provide job training for returning military veterans. Tuition was free for New York State residents and cost $300 for out-of-state students. The Institute opened with 53 students - all enrolled in Retail Business Management.

The Institute began to expand quickly, and in 1947, the Technical Division moved to the Munro Building on State Street in Utica, with new programs in Mechanical Technology and Electrical Technology.

The Institute's first graduating class - of 32 students - crossed the stage in June of 1948. The Institute graduated 31 in September, and eight in December, for a total of 71 graduates for 1948 - all with degrees in Retail Business Management. Starting salaries for graduates were reported at $180 to $325 per month.

The school colors of green and white were chosen in 1948 by Kenneth C. Moles, MVTI's first class president.

In 1950, the Institute became a State University of New York unit under the state's provisions for community colleges.

As the Institute continued to grow, Oneida County requested the acquisition of city-owned land on the Memorial Parkway in Utica be used for MVTI's permanent location. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force requested that the Institute offer classes to military personnel, so the Rome extension Division began to hold classes at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome.

In 1960, the present main campus on Sherman Drive opened, replacing the State Street and Genesee Street sites. The campus, which was designed by world-famous architect Edward Durell Stone, included the Academic Building, Physical Education Building and student union (now the Alumni College Center). Enrollment included 786 full-time students and 1,175 part-time students.

On January 1, 1963, Mohawk Valley Technical Institute changed its name to Mohawk Valley Community College to more accurately reflect the range and caliber of educational programs available to students.

To accommodate its growing number of out-of-town students, MVCC added four dormitories on the Utica campus in 1966. There were two buildings for men and two for women - housing a total of 330 students.

On September 27, 1969, the College formally dedicated Payne Hall, the new library/administration building on the Utica campus in honor of the founding MVCC President Albert Payne. The building originally housed the library, three auditoriums, biology labs, a television classroom, and administrative and faculty offices.

In 1979, the Board of Trustees approved the formation of the College Senate, which represents all groups at MVCC, to enhance communication throughout the College and serve as the anchor of our effective governance system.

MVCC changed its academic calendar from the quarter system to the semester system in 1982, which was meant to align the College's calendar with other schools, and to help ease MVCC graduates' transfer into four-year colleges.

As enrollment continued to grow, so did the need for facilities. The Rome extension center was changed to a branch campus, and the facilities expanded. The John D. Plumley Science and Technology Complex opened in 1991, complete with general-purpose classrooms, library, lecture hall with satellite down-link capabilities, and fully-equipped labs.

1996 was the 50th anniversary year for MVCC, and the year was filled with special events to celebrate. The College was saluted on NBC's "Today Show" on January 30. The theme for the year was "New York's 1st Community College."

This also was the year that the first MVCC website was launched.

The Information Technology was constructed on the Utica Campus in 2001 to include a state-of-the-art theater, 100-seat conference center, 11 computer labs, and smart classrooms. The building was dedicated the following year in a ceremony with MVCC President Michael Schafer cutting a fiber-optic cable for its official opening.

This is also the year the Cultural Series was launched - with six events and a very limited budget.

For the 2003-2004 year, MVCC was recognized as the most successful two-year college non-scholarship athletic program nationwide by the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators. The College received the Pepsi/NATYCAA Award Trophy, and $2,500 from Pepsi Cola for MVCC scholarships.

2008 also saw the launch of New Faculty Institute and New Employee Orientation, designed to meet the needs of new full-time faculty and staff entering MVCC - both the start of what would become a comprehensive staff development program.

In 2010, MVCC opened an Educational Outreach Center site at 525 Elizabeth Street in downtown Utica to work with individuals and their families to overcome barriers and successfully reach their educational goals. The EOC assesses job interests and skill levels to develop an individualized training, employment, and educational plan.

The Robert R. Jorgensen Athletic/Events Center opened in 2011. The facility is a comprehensive academic, athletic, recreational, wellness, and cultural events complex, named for the "Founding Father" of MVCC athletics, Bob Jorgensen. It was Jorgensen's dedication, not just to the Hawks' athletic teams, but also to the individual student-athletes, that enabled him to leave a positive impression on so many alumni during his 31 years with the college.

MVCC's mascot got an update in 2013 when Mo Hawk was born. The mascot, a large green hawk, was named by MVCC students in a social media contest.

Responding to community needs during the Great Recession, enrollment grew to an all-time high of more than 7,600 students in the fall and more than 450 full-time employees.

In 2014, MVCC joined the Achieving the Dream Network to promote better outcomes for students. The national network of more than 200 community colleges is dedicated to improving student success. MVCC was the first SUNY community college to be invited to the network.

Less than two years after breaking ground for the expansion of the Rome Campus, work was completed in February 2017 that transformed the campus from a former County Hospital site to a modern, state-of-the art learning facility and community hub.

MVCC was accepted as one of 13 community colleges nationwide to participate in the Guided Pathways 2.0 cohort with the American Association of Community Colleges to further advance the student success agenda and transform the overall student experience by helping students clarify their path, connect to a path, stay on the path, and increase their success with graduation and a meaningful career.

Also in 2017, MVCC andLeadership Mohawk Valley, an organization devoted to leadership development in the community, joined forces to create a Center for Leadership Excellence. This partnership allows for the leveraging of networks and relationships to increase reach and impact for maximum community development.

Also in 2018, the College was evaluated against the seven standards for accreditation by the Middle States Commission and found the College meets all seven standards. The team also affirmed MVCC's commitments and had no further recommendations. Satisfying all seven accreditation standards with zero recommendations is a very rare achievement and testament to MVCC's organizational culture. On the same day as the accreditation exit report, MVCC was notified it won the SUNY shared governance award - the only college in the 64-college system to win that year.

In late 2019, the College received its largest monetary gift to date after electrical engineer and decorated U.S. veteran Francis A. Wilcox named the MVCC Foundation in his will. This gift, which supported two full-tuition scholarship funds and created a new scholarship for adult students, led to the renaming of the Information Technology Building to Francis A. Wilcox Hall.