[9] The initial predecessor institution to Southern Cross University was the Lismore Teachers' College, which commenced operation on 23 February 1970, at what is now the Northern Rivers Conservatorium site.

[10] Dr (later Professor) Rod Treyvaud was appointed principal in 1984, and oversaw an extensive building programme and the introduction of six new degree courses.

[12] On 17 July 1989 the Northern Rivers CAE thus became part of network University of New England, with some 1800 staff and some 9500 EFTSU (effective full-time student units).

[15] In 2019 a new health sciences building was opened at the Coffs Harbour campus funded from the Australian Government’s Community Development Grants program.

The Lismore campus is set on more than 75 hectares, and houses specialist training teaching facilities including a science and engineering precinct, environmental laboratories, contemporary music and visual arts studios and the SCU Health Clinic.

Tourism, business, information technology, law, education, arts and social welfare are also taught at the Gold Coast.

Southern Cross University operates the National Marine Science Centre (NMSC) in Coffs Harbour on the northern side of the city.

Facilities at the NMSC include a flow-through seawater system that supplies labs, tank farm, aquarium room and hatchery.

Southern Cross University also operates branch campuses in Sydney and Melbourne, delivering business and accounting degrees to undergraduate and postgraduate international students.

[34] The Australian Government's QILT[a] conducts national surveys documenting the student life cycle from enrolment through to employment.

[35] These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction[35] than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts.