Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a community and technical college with five campuses in southwestern Minnesota, United States. The college was established on January 1, 1997, by the merging of Worthington Community College and Southwestern Technical College (itself a merger of four separate local vocational schools). Minnesota West's individual campuses have a history dating back 75 years. The campuses were originally under the jurisdiction of the local school district and offered programs that served the local and regional economy. On July 1, 1985 the four then area technical institutes at Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, and Pipestone were officially merged to form Southwestern Technical Institute. The Minnesota State Legislature renamed all technical institutes, technical colleges on July 1, 1989.