It was formed in 1992 by the merger of Mohegan Community College and Thames Valley State Technical College[2] and is named after the three major rivers in the region: the Shetucket, the Yantic and the Thames.

As of July 1, 2023, it, along with the other 11 community colleges, merged into a single state institution.

[7] The college was split between the Mohegan and Thames Valley campuses on opposite sides of Norwich.

In 2003, the state legislature approved funding to consolidate the college at the Thames Valley campus.

There are also two off-campus instructional centers, one at the nearby Naval Submarine Base, the other at Ella Grasso Technical School in Groton.