Prior to the inauguration of its first official building, in October 1974, the College was operating from the Avraham Haft Youth Center in Samakh.

The historic-archaeologic aspect of the Galilee has been the main purpose of research for the institute, which is reflected on events, such as the Jesus movement, the First Jewish–Roman War and the composition of the Talmud and the Mishnah, including the big concentration of ancient synagogues and Christian holy sites in the area.

The students are directed from towns and settlements of nearby areas, such as the Jordan Rift Valley, the southern Golan Heights and Afula.

Since 2004, the College has independent academic status and awards degrees in several fields of Engineering, Social Sciences and Humanities, including Media Studies and Tourism Management.

Kinneret College and a subcontractor called Sachlav have been accused of luring foreign students from Asian and African countries to Israel under the guise of an eleven-month bachelor programme in business administration and agriculture.