The State of Georgia issued the original authorization for West Georgia Technical College in 1965. The College at that time was named Troup County Area Vocational Technical School (Troup Tech) and operated under the Troup County Board of Education. The first students enrolled in the fall of 1966 and 31 graduated in 1967. The original building housing the institution consisted of 38,000 square feet. By January of 1967 the school offered training in eight occupational areas.

In 1986, the Troup County Board of Education notified the State Board of Postsecondary Vocational Education that under the provisions established by the Georgia General Assembly they would relinquish control of Troup Tech to the State of Georgia. In July 1987 Troup Tech became a state institution operating under the governance of the State Board of Postsecondary Vocational Education and was granted permission to change its name to West Georgia Technical Institute and use the name West Georgia Tech.

In 1988 the State Board of Postsecondary Vocational Education became the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education and now serves as the governing body of 34 technical colleges, 18 satellite campuses, and technical programs at four university system institutions throughout Georgia. On July 6, 2000, the name was again changed as a result of legislative action (House Bill 1187) allowing qualifying technical institutes to bear the name “college.” West Georgia Technical College is now the official name of the College.

In 1973 West Georgia Tech was first accredited by the Commission on Occupational Education Institutions (COEI), then a division of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. COEI separated from SACS in 1995 and became known as COE, Council on Occupational Education, a national accrediting body approved by the U. S. Department of Education. In 1993 West Georgia Technical College received authorization from the Department of Technical and Adult Education and COE to award the Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degree. COE conducted its most recent review of the institution, including the eight majors at the degree level in August 1999. In 2006 West Georgia Technical College received approval from the Department of Technical and Adult Education to award the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in lieu of the AAT.

Today West Georgia Technical College consists of an East and West campus totaling 170 acres. The East campus consists of 89 acres and seven buildings. The West campus consists of 81 acres and two buildings. The College is located near Interstate 85 at Exit 13. The campus is just minutes from downtown LaGrange, Georgia.