[2] RMCAD was established in January 1963 by Philip J. Steele, an artist and educator, who purchased the Art for All Studios school from Dorothea Seeley Shulenburg.

[6] In 2014, amidst a turnover of a significant number of key faculty, RMCAD rescheduled its in-person campus courses to align with the scheduling of online classes, and to cut costs moved most liberal arts courses online.

[7] RMCAD is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC)[8] and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

[12] Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design campus comprises 23 acres (9.3 ha).

The campus is the former site of the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society, included in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Colorado,[14] although the Full Sail owners and RMCAD President Brent Fitch have deconstructed historical aspects of the campus, and is located in the 40 West Arts District[15] close to Casa Bonita.