The college was founded in late 1965 as Somerset County College and opened to its first class of students in the fall of 1968. It was given its present name in 1987, when it became the county college for Hunterdon County as well as its home of Somerset County.[3] It was the first community college in New Jersey to be sponsored by two different counties. Raritan Valley's University Center offers degree completion programs from a number of schools and university partners including Rutgers University.