It was founded in 1973 by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in south-central North Dakota.

It serves as the primary educational institution on the Standing Rock Reservation.

[4] SBC 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.

[2] SBC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians.

[2] SBC generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means of accessing education beyond the high school level.