Southwestern Oregon Community College (Southwestern) is located within two miles of the Pacific Ocean in an area of scenic beauty and mild climate.The 157-acre institution lies completely within the city of Coos Bay and is bordered on the north and east by the city of North Bend.

The college was formed in a tax district election in May 1961. It included Coos and western Douglas counties. The residents of Curry County later voted to annex themselves to the district, joining the district on July 1, 1995. The college area nearly doubled in size, extending to the California border. The district now encompasses 3,648 square miles with a population of approximately 92,000. The college is the only public, post-secondary institution in the region.

Enrollment has grown from 266 students in 1961 to nearly 12,000 students annually. Staff has grown from 15 to more than 70 full-time faculty and from 11 to over 235 part-time instructors. Cultural and athletic events at the college attract thousands of men, women and children from our communities each year.

During the early years, Southwestern held classes in surplus U.S. Navy facilities and in Coos Bay and North Bend school district buildings. Today’s main campus is located on the shore of Upper Empire Lake in a natural tract of coastal pine.Permanent campus construction began in 1963. A majority of the campus was built between 1965 and 1969. A second phase of construction, which began in 1979, provided new and remodeled shops and laboratories and expanded facilities for several programs. The expansion included a student center with a cafeteria, student activity space, student government offices, and meeting rooms for school and community activities.