OLC serves the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which has a population of about 26,000 and covers 3,468 square miles in southwestern South Dakota.

There are OLC instructional centers in each of the nine districts across Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

OLC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to offer degrees at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels.

[1] OLC is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which is a community of tribally and federally chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

OLC generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.