College History

Three Rivers College was founded April 5, 1966, when citizens of Butler, Carter, Ripley, and Wayne counties voted into existence the College District. The College opened in storefront facilities in downtown Poplar Bluff, Missouri, with 138 students in 1967. Today, Three Rivers enrolls thousands of students at locations throughout Southeast Missouri, including an 80-acre campus and workforce training lab in Poplar Bluff; 100-acre agricultural lab in Fairdealing; full-service locations in Dexter, Kennett, and Sikeston; and other locations. Programs include college transfer, career-technical, transitional, continuing education, and workforce training. For more information about the College, visit the About Us section (trcc.edu/about/) of our website.