Rich Mountain Community College is located on the eastern edge of Mena-a town with a population of approximately 6,000 and is set in the Ouachita Mountain range on the west central border of Arkansas.  The campus site was originally obtained by the citizens of the are for Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School, established in 1973 to serve Polk, Scott and Montgomery Counties as a postsecondary vocational-technical school under the Arkansas Department of Vocational Education.  Vocation-Technical Division classes began in the new buildings in 1975 with Dr. Mary Louise Spencer as the first president of the school.

Henderson State University also began an off-campus program in Mena during 1975 offering 60 hours of academic courses, which could be transferred to four-year institutions.

The Arkansas Legislature, by Act 16 of 1983, approved combining Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School and the Henderson State University off-campus program to form a new, comprehensive community college. On April 12, 1983, the voters of Polk County approved a 5-mill tax to establish the Polk County community college district.  Rich Mountain Community College opened on July 1, 1983, as a new institution with Dr. Spencer as the first president and 250 students attending college.

The original campus consisted of one vocational-technical building.  Construction of an instructional building was completed in 1986 and is now known as the M. L. Spencer Building.  Bill Abernathy was installed as the second president in 1987.  Under President Abernathy's leadership, the campus saw growth in facilities and in the development of comprehensive community college programs and services.  In 1992, a student services building was opened and was later named in Abernathy's honor.  In 1995, the St John Library expansion doubled the library's original floor space.  The vocational-technical building was renovated in 1998 and dedicated to Representative Ode Maddox, who was the author of Act 16 of 1983 to create the college.  Branch sites were also established in Waldron, Mt. Ida and Wickes.

Rich Mountain Community College was fully accredited through the North Central Association for Colleges and Universities in 1990 and maintains full accreditation today.