The establishment of the institution was authorized by the association on October 20, 1884. The first building was constructed during 1885 and 1886. Instruction began on January 10, 1887, with approximately a hundred students, most of whom were from the middle Georgia area.

Middle Georgia College offers a wide range of programs of study designed for transfer to four-year institutions and others designed to prepare student for entry directly into business, industry, and other careers. College academic programs meet the requirement of the Core Curriculum, as approved by the University System of Georgia, to facilitate the transfer of credits to the four-year institution of the student's choice.

College main campus in Cochran serves both commuting and residential students. The Dublin Center serves commuting students from the middle Georgia Area. The Georgia Aviation campus in Eastman offers several aviation technical certificates and Associate of Applied Science degrees.

Middle Georgia College offers many clubs and organizations to provide a variety of extracurricular activities for the students of the College. Each club has a faculty or staff advisor, who is approved by the vice president for student and enrollment services. The club advisor counsels the club in the development of programs and projects to enrich the extracurricular program of the College. The regularly enrolled students of the College are provided with opportunities to be creative and to develop experiences in student leadership.

The Division of Distance Learning at Middle Georgia College is committed to serving both traditional and non-traditional students. It offers a wide range of online programs designed for transfer to four-year institutions, as well as others designed to prepare students for direct entry into business, industry, and other careers. Degree options include 16 academic online associate degrees and 2 certificate programs. The majority of classes are fully online (no campus attendance required) with a few that require 1-2 campus visits. Courses are offered in 4-, 8- or 16-week terms during fall and spring and 5- or 10-week terms during summer. Class sections are usually small with a maximum of 30 students. Over 80% of online instructors are full-time faculty.