TCC is the second largest of 23 colleges within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), which is governed by the State Board for Community Colleges. Founded in 1968 as a part of the Virginia Community College System, Tidewater Community College (TCC) serves South Hampton Roads with 4 campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach and 5 regional centers:

Advanced Technology Center on the Virginia Beach Campus

Regional Health Professions Center on the Virginia Beach Campus

Center for Military and Veterans Education on the Virginia Beach Campus

Regional Automotive Center in Chesapeake

Center for Workforce Solutions in Suffolk

The college also boasts 2 important cultural institutions, the Visual Arts Center in Olde Towne Portsmouth and Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center in the heart of downtown Norfolk.

TCC is the largest provider of higher education and workforce services in Hampton Roads, enrolling almost 40,000 students annually — the second largest undergraduate student body in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

It is the 11th largest public 2-year community college in the entire nation.

During the 2012-13 academic year, 51 percent of South Hampton Roads residents who enrolled in higher education did so at TCC. Ninety-eight percent of graduates would recommend TCC to those continuing their education.

TCC has 12 nationally accredited programs.