January of 1975 Shawnee State General and Technical College, created from a merger of the Ohio University regional campus in Portsmouth, Ohio and Scioto Technical College, was chartered by the Ohio Board of Regents to begin operation on July 1, 1975. The college, then operated on two campuses, moved to its present location in 1978.

November 4, 1977    By an act of the Ohio Legislature (Senate Bill 229) Shawnee State General and Technical College became Shawnee State Community College.

July 2, 1986    Another act of Legislature created Shawnee State University.

Since then, the regional state university in south central Ohio has continued to increase the number of baccalaureate degree
programs.  The campus, which began with a single, five-story, classroom building, has expanded to include 29 buildings, the newest being the Children’s Learning Center. A master plan created by Bohm-NBBJ of Columbus, Ohio, with input from Shawnee State and Portsmouth area community members, has created the vision for the institution's growth.

To accommodate the diverse educational needs of an expanding student population, Shawnee State's academic curriculum has continued to grow. The University now offers associate degrees in 13 major fields, baccalaureate degrees in 18 major fields, licensure in teacher education, and is in the process of developing additional majors. Additionally, the Continuing Education Department annually provides learning opportunities to approximately 7,000 community participants. Programs geared toward academically talented young people have proven more popular year after year.

In the fall of 2007-2008, 3,699 students attended Shawnee State University, of which 82% attended full-time, and 60% of which were women.  In addition, Fall 2006 marked the beginning of Shawnee State University’s first graduate program: the Master’s of Occupational Therapy. While nine students enrolled that first year, there were 25 graduate students enrolled in the MOT program Fall 2007.
The University has also grown in importance and sphere of influence in other ways as well by offering high quality cultural and educational events to students and the community at large. Shawnee State University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Location
Shawnee State University is located in downtown Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio and is accessible by automobile from all sections of the state of Ohio, as well as northern Kentucky. Passenger service of all kinds connects Portsmouth with Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland, Ohio, as well as Ashland and Maysville, Kentucky and Huntington, West Virginia. The Portsmouth Regional Airport is nearby, as well as Amtrak in nearby South Shore, Kentucky. Portsmouth, a city of approximately 31,000, is located 90 miles south of Columbus on the Ohio River.

Facilities
The University maintains 29 buildings, all of which are new structures, with the exception of Massie Hall, which is the oldest. Massie Hall was built in 1967 and renovated in 1997 as part of the University’s expansion efforts.