[5] The college campus includes a 300-acre (1.2 km2) working farm, market garden, and 600 acres (2.4 km2) of managed forest with 16 miles (26 km) of hiking trails.

[6] On November 30, 1894, the Asheville Farm School officially opened on 420 acres (170 ha), with 25 students attending.

It was named Warren H. Wilson Vocational Junior College and Associated Schools.

After World War II, the public education system in North Carolina improved dramatically and the need for the high school diminished.

In 1952, the college became one of the first in the South to desegregate, when it invited Alma Shippy, an African American from Swannanoa, North Carolina, to attend.

With its expansion of programs and to a four-year curriculum, Warren Wilson enrolls students of many different geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

This is in contrast to the original student population of underprivileged mountain youth for basic education.

Unlike other schools in the Work College Consortium, students at Warren Wilson do not receive traditional pay checks.

[15] Work Crews contribute in different areas, assuming administrative, academic, custodial, land management duties on campus.

[17] The college offered a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.

Warren Wilson was also a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), primarily competing as a founding member of the Eastern Metro Athletic Conference (EMAC) for most of its sports from 2018–19 to 2019–20;[21] Warren Wilson competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, cross country, cyclocross, lacrosse, mountain biking, road cycling, soccer, swimming, and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, cyclocross, lacrosse, mountain biking, road cycling, soccer, swimming, and tennis.

Buncombe County contributed $300,000 to the project, with the understanding that local swim teams would also be able to use the pool.

Although originally planned to be completed for the 2017–18 swim season,[33] work on the internal aspects of the pool were still underway as of May 2023.