RCC first opened in 1916 at the same site as the Riverside Polytechnic High School (Riverside Poly).[2] Originally known as Riverside Junior College and later as Riverside City College,[3]: 206 the school changed its name to Riverside Community College in the mid-1980s. In 2008, the board of trustees renamed the institution back to Riverside City College.
With the opening of school next fall, Riverside's Junior College will be at the disposal of those who see fit to take advantage of the newest educational facility. The school board realized that the benefits of such a school would be great and according to their March meeting voted to establish such a college. – Anonymous, 1919[4]
The junior college expanded from the Riverside Poly campus and in 1924 constructed the first two buildings of the campus quadrangle in 1924.[5] When Riverside Poly re-located to its own campus on Victoria Avenue in 1965 the college assumed total control of the Magnolia property.
Today, Riverside City College is part of the greater Riverside Community College District which enrolls about 21,000 students each semester. Students may earn an associate degree, transfer to a four-year college or university, or earn a career certificate.
In addition to the campus located in downtown Riverside, there are campuses in Moreno Valley and Norco. Separate education centers include the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, the Center for Teaching Excellence at Stokoe, and the Rubidoux Annex in Rubidoux. RCC is also home to Gateway to College, a charter school that serves those returning to high school seeking diplomas as adults.
In 2016, RCC opened the Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts on University Avenue and Market Street, adjacent to the historic White Park. The school is the home of the college's music program, including the internationally renowned RCC Chamber Singers, and the RCC Jazz Ensemble. The school combining classrooms, studios, and digital media labs, built around a state of the art concert hall designed with adjustable acoustics. The new school serves around 1,000 students preparing for careers in vocal or instrumental performance, music education, and careers in the music industry.
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(September 2023)
Kurt Barber – National Football League, Coach at RCC
Bob Boyd (basketball) – William Robert "Bob" Boyd, Head coach at the University of Southern California (USC) and Mississippi State University, Head coach at RCC