SwCC was founded in 1948 by the educator and minister G. P. Bowser under the name Southern Bible Institute in Fort Worth, Texas.
In the summer of 1949, the school had the opportunity to purchase the property of the closed Texas Military College in Terrell.
It relocated to the campus that fall, changing the college's name.
The campus includes two locally significant historic buildings: SwCC became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1973.
SwCC participates in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 5 as a Division I program.