Founded in 1896, the organisation’s original focus was providing services to the students in Stockholm.
Since then SSCO has moved towards working as a lobby organisation and today the main focus of SSCO is influencing politicians on the local, regional and national levels.
SSCO is also the principal body for Sweden's largest provider of student accommodation, Stiftelsen Stockholms Studentbostäder (SSSB), which owns and administrates 8 000 student rooms and apartments.
The organisation is involved in a constant political struggle to improve housing conditions for students in the Stockholm region.
In cooperation with the Nobel Foundation, the organisation is responsible for arranging the students' participation during the annual Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December.