[1] The Buenavista Vocational School, around which the Guimaras State University eventually grew, was founded under the provision of Republic Act 3933 in 1964 with Representative Rodolfo Tiamson Ganzon of the Second District of Iloilo as the leading sponsor of the bill.

Tomas Junco, who backed a resolution to persuade the legislature to establish a vocational school in Buenavista, led up to the creation of BVS when RA 3933 was passed on June 18, 1964.

Representative Fermin “Nene” Zarandin Caram of the Lone District of Iloilo City made an effort for the implementation of the law.

Four years later, through the efforts of lawyer Ernesto G. Gaduyon and Iloilo governor Abelardo D. Javellana, the philanthropist-lawyer Juan Z. Salvador, Jr. bestowed a 12.36-acre lot taken away from his lands in Barangay McLain, Buenavista, Guimaras, to be the school site.

In July 1994, Representative Lopez filed House Bill 6252, in Congress, seeking the conversion of the BVS into a polytechnic college.

On March 3, 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 7944 into law, showing out the conversion of Buenavista Vocational School into Guimaras Polytechnic College, which would offer general secondary curriculum, professional, technological courses.

In June 2000, a consultation and public hearing on House Bills 7382 and 5807 sponsored by Representative Emily Relucio-Lopez of the Lone District of Guimaras was organized at the GPC Function Room.

For the next five decades, a principal, five administrators, an acting administrator, and an SUC president would take the helm and lead the school to its current level of excellence: Jose E. Esquera, Florencio D. Doromal, Cerilo P. Tamayo, Arthur Clemente, Mercedes R. Regalado, Teodoro B. Alenton, Hector G. Zamora, and Dr. Sofronio D. Dignomo.

Over 50 years later after its founding, the Philippine Congress approved GSC's conversion to University status by way of RA 11335, and President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed it into law on April 26, 2019.

The University Baterna Annex in Constancia, San Lorenzo is now the host of the College of Agriculture and Fisheries, pursuant to its mandate as provided in RA 9138.

Most of the university's teaching activities take place at the Salvador Campus, which occupy a 5-hectare site with billowing trees in a sprawling park-like setting.

A number of jeepneys and tricycles provide a public transport link between the university's central area throughout the year, both during and outside term times.

The industries that have the best potentials for contributing to the Province's economic growth are tourism, mango and cashew production, and food processing.