College History
A Legacy of Educational Excellence
RCCD began serving the Moreno Valley community by offering classes at March Air Force Base and Moreno Valley High School. The number of courses expanded with the community's population and in October 1985 the Robert C. Warmington Company donated 112 acres for the construction of a college in Moreno Valley. This philanthropic act was motivated by the company's vision that having a college close to the homes that it intended to build would make those homes more attractive to potential buyers. In 1989, RCCD purchased 20 additional acres. Construction began in the same year and MVC officially opened in 1991 when four buildings were completed: the Library, the Student Services Building, the Science and Technology Building, and the student center.
MVC became a fully accredited college in 2010, making it the 111th California Community College. MVC has grown from serving 3,490 students in the College's first semester to an annual enrollment of 10,000 students as of the fall 2017 semester.
MVC is RCCD's designated center for health sciences and public safety programs, which are offered in partnership with entities such as the Riverside County Regional Medical Center, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
MVC offers over 55 academic programs, employs more than 585 people, and distributes over $660,000 in financial aid to students every year.
Highlights at MVC
March 16, 1987
March 13, 1991
This date marks the official opening of the Moreno Valley Campus. The Moreno Valley Campus consisted of 132 Acres; 39,789 assigned square feet of buildings, designated to serve 2,400 students but with an actual enrollment of 148 students in spring 1991, and with 3,800 students in fall of 1994. During the spring semester 1991, only 12-week short-classes were offered with 9 full-time faculty.
July 1992
The Moreno Valley Campus is designated as the "beacon campus" for health science programs. In the fall of 1994, the EMT Program transferred from Riverside City College to the Moreno Valley campus to start the allied health program. Eventually MVC's allied health offerings grew to include EMT and Paramedic training, Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting.
May 31, 1994
The Moreno Valley Campus announces it will pursue accreditation as an independent college. A month later, the campus graduating class totaled 52 students.
1996
In 1996, the Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center is made possible by the realignment of March Air Force Base. District and public safety agencies work collaboratively to identify training needs in order to provide quality education for the region. Proposal was to set aside 360 acres for a training center.
April 21, 1998
Moreno Valley artist Timothy L. Taylor unveils the three colorful panels of hand-painted tiles at the bottom of the staircase between the Student Services and Science & Technology buildings.
March 2004
Voters approve Measure C, a $350 million bond measure for the colleges. This would go on to fund several major development projects, including the MVC Welcome Center building which broke ground on October 5, 2020, with $14 million of Measure C funds.
March 1, 2010
Moreno Valley College becomes a fully accredited college, making it the 111th California Community College. Initial accreditation was received two months earlier on January 29, 2010.
April 2016
The College installs LED signage atop the Student Academic Services Building for its 25th anniversary, giving light to the beacon on the hill.
December 5, 2019
Moreno Valley College opens its on-campus iMAKE Innovation Center. The 4,150-square-foot Center serves as a hub for innovation and creativity, lending itself to fostering enthusiasm for learning.
March 2021
Moreno Valley College celebrates 30 years of serving Valley residents as the community's college.
