It is one of the largest members of the state-run Wisconsin Technical College System, serving Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties.

[2] The college also offers certification and permit courses, as well as helping students attain GED and HSED diplomas.

[3][4] Gateway has three main campuses, in Elkhorn, Kenosha, and Racine, and six other educational centers located throughout the region.

The school, later known as the Racine Technical Institute, opened satellite campuses in Burlington, Union Grove, and Waterford in 1967.

In 1968, Walworth County was added to the Kenosha vocational district, and a satellite campus began construction in Elkhorn, although it was not complete until after the 1971 merger.

Since the 1990s, Gateway has continually expanded both its enrollment and facilities, and has placed a focus on smaller educational centers that are separate from the major campuses.

The North and South buildings make up most of the facility, containing classrooms, a library and bookstore, administration, and the student commons.

[11][12][13] Located along the lakefront south of downtown, Gateway's Racine Campus opened in 1972, on the former site of the University of Wisconsin–Racine.

The Lake Building is the campus' "key building for student access", featuring the S.C. Johnson Student Life Center, a common area named for the SC Johnson company, and the library, on the ground floor, with classrooms on the two upper floors.