RTI/RTC first provided career and technical education at the Rolla High School Annex beginning about 1968.  In 1972, Rolla Public Schools built a building at 1304 E. 10th Street with the help of matching dollars from the federal government, and RTI/RTC opened its doors as Rolla Area Vocational Technical School. 

Today, this building houses the trade programs and the majority of the technical programs and is now known as Rolla Technical Institute (RTI). 

The school's name changed to Rolla Technical Institute (RTI) in 1993. In 1998, the school built a second building at 500 Forum Drive on property the school already owned by utilizing a state grant and the existing land as a match for the grant.

This new building was expanded in 2004.  It is known as Rolla Technical Center (RTC) and currently houses the allied health programs, a few technical programs, the Rolla Public Schools administrative offices, and a satellite branch of East Central Community College.  Collectively, the buildings and school are known as RTI/RTC.