WVU Parkersburg is a public community college that opened in 1961 to give local students better access to higher education. It started in an old school building and moved to its current campus in 1969 after voters approved a new facility.

It became West Virginia’s first community college in 1971 and has since offered associate, certificate, and some bachelor’s degrees, like business and education. Although it's no longer officially part of West Virginia University, it still uses the “WVU” name through a special arrangement.

Enrollment peaked at over 5,000 students in the 1970s and was around 3,800 in 2005. It also has a center in Ripley, and its campus has grown over time, including the Caperton Center for Applied Technology added in 1999.