San Joaquin Valley College was founded in April 1977 by Robert and Shirley Perry in response to a growing need for professional instruction of Medical Assistants. The first class consisted of three students who were excited to pursue a career in Medical Assisting. The class was taught in Visalia, California by Shirley Perry, who was one of the first Certified Medical Assistants in the State of California and a leader of professional development at the time. In 1987, the Visalia campus moved to its current site as a result of several expansions . The new site was built to house the campus and the growing corporate offices, which in 2003 would move to a separate Visalia location.