In 2021, the college began offering some courses and certifications at the Rensselaer campus in the fields of business management, cybersecurity, and health science.

The college was founded in 1889 by Father Joseph A. Stephan, a missionary from Germany as a secondary school to assimilate Native Americans.

[5] A charity game for Joy Piccolo, with the Bears versus college all-stars, was played on July 23, 1971.

During training camp one year, Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was reportedly seen out on a tractor in the cornfield adjacent to the campus.

[11] One year later, resignations of a number of key members of the administrative team and board raised questions about the future viability of the closed Rensselaer Campus, further dimming the hopes of former alumni and the local community.

[14] Specific programs were accredited or approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE),[15] the National League for Nursing (NLN), the Board of Commissioners of the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE),[16] and the State of Indiana Professional Standards Board for the Training of Elementary Teachers.

This departs from the cafeteria-style approach to general education used by most colleges and universities in which students take discrete lower division classes in these subjects.

SJC offers 75 major, minor, and pre-professional programs, along with the nationally acclaimed Core Curriculum, which provides a solid liberal arts education and a distinct career advantage.

The school's women's tennis team has captured six GLVC conference titles since 1985 and completed three undefeated seasons.