The North Slope Borough was organized as a home rule government in 1972, and with that, the Iñupiat people took other steps toward regaining control of their culture.

In 1995 the Borough passed an ordinance incorporating Iḷisaġvik College as a public and independent non-profit corporation.

The school moved to the facility previously used by the United States Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL).

It was led from 1995 to 2005 by college president, Edna Ahgeak MacLean (Iñupiat) an educator from Utqiaġvik (Barrow).

[5] Iḷisaġvik College was a leader in 1997 in founding the Consortium for Alaska Native Higher Education (CANHE).

[12] Iḷisaġvik College is sanctioned by the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) tribal government.

Iḷisaġvik's goal is to create successful graduates who can incorporate their traditional values into modern life and, in doing so, enhances both.

The Tuzzy Consortium Library is named after Evelyn Tuzroyluk Higbee, a member of the original Board of Higher Education for the college.