Opened in 1965 as the Alberta Vocational Centre (AVC) in Fort McMurray. The official opening ceremonies were held on January 26, 1966. The college opened under the name "Keyano" in 1975. Keyano is a Cree word that roughly translated means "sharing". The original slogan for the College was adapted from that to be "Yours, Mine and Ours".
In 1978 Keyano College went public and became a community college, when the province appointed a Board of Governors to serve as the decision-making body for the institution.
Keyano College has grown to become a modern series of buildings on many campuses. Major building completions over the years include: