Lindsey Wilson College was founded in 1903 as Lindsey Wilson Training School by the Louisville Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The school was named in memory of Lindsey Wilson, the deceased nephew and stepson of Mrs. Catherine Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky. (Today, Lindsey Wilson continues its affiliation with the Kentucky Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.) 

Mrs. Wilson contributed $6,000 toward the construction of one of the school's first buildings, which now serves as the L. R. McDonald Administration Building. Funding also came from the citizens of Columbia and Mrs. James Phillips of Lebanon, Ky., for whom Phillips Hall, a women's residence hall, is named. Mrs. Kizzie Russell of Columbia also made substantial gifts.

In its early years, Lindsey Wilson educated grades 1 through 12. Concentration was on "normal work" to prepare students to be teachers; many continued their education at Vanderbilt University.

In 1923, the school's curriculum was reorganized and a college department offering a junior college degree was added. In 1934, Lindsey Wilson closed its academy and the school became exclusively a junior college. The College, however, maintained a Model Training School from 1933 through 1979. 

In 1951, the College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and in 1985, the College's trustees voted to become a four-year liberal arts college. Lindsey Wilson graduated its first baccalaureate class in May 1988.

The College added a master's degree in Counseling and Human Development in April 1993. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational (CACREP), and it has been cited by CACREP as a model small-college graduate program.

While historically the College's focus has been to serve the citizens of South Central Kentucky, Lindsey Wilson serves a diverse group of more than 2,000 students representing more than 100 of Kentucky's 120 counties, 33 states and 28 foreign countries. The College also has community campuses in the Kentucky cities of Ashland, Cumberland, Danville, Elizabethtown, Hazard, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Lexington, London, Louisville, Maysville, Madisonville, Paducah, Park Hills, Prestonsburg, Radcliff, Scottsville and Somerset, with other community campuses in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Ohio. The College's 2010-2011 enrollment included 2,554 undergraduate and graduate students. 

An aggressive development program initiated in 1978 has yielded a remarkable increase in gift income and more than tripled the number of donors to the College. This support has enabled the College to repair and refurbish buildings, improve campus grounds, strengthen academic programs, and dramatically expand the number of full-time faculty.

The College completed the $53 million "Changing Lives Campaign" on June 30, 2010. The campaign supported the construction of the Doris and Bob Holloway Health & Wellness Center; Harold J. Smith Hall, a 186-bed residence hall; the Jim and Helen Lee Fugitte Science Center; the renovation of the Goodhue Building into a multi-use classroom building; the development of 20 acres of land along the Louie B. Nunn Parkway into the Lindsey Wilson Sports Park; added $15 million to the Lindsey Wilson Endowment; and raised $3.5 million for the Lindsey Wilson Fund. 

Graduate programs offered include a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership; a Master of Education degree in Counseling and Human Development with a specialization offered in Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Education for Teacher as Leader. 

Bachelor of Arts programs are available in the following areas: American Studies, Applied Learning, Art, Art Education P-12, Business Administration, Christian Ministries, Communication, Criminal Justice, Elementary Education P-5, English, Fine Arts Administration, History, Human Services and Counseling, Mathematics, Media Studies, Middle Grades Education 5-9, Physical Education P-12, Physical Education and Health P-12, Psychology, Recreation, Tourism and Sport Management, Secondary Education 8-12, and Social Science. A Contract, or individualized major is also available but must be approved by the Academic Affairs Council. 

Bachelor of Science programs are available in the following areas: Biology, Biology Education, Nursing, and Psychophysiology. 

Pre-nursing courses are offered to first-year students, and professional nursing courses are offered for those students accepted into the Nursing program. A Psychophysiology degree, an interdisciplinary program incorporating study in psychology, biology and chemistry, began in fall 2010.  

Minor areas of concentration are offered in: Accounting, Art, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Christian Ministries, Communication, Criminal Justice, History, Journalism, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Political Science, Psychology, Spanish, Theatre, Women's Studies and Writing. 

Associate in Arts programs are available in: Art, Business Management, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Care and Development, Engineering Mechanics, Health Science, History, Mathematics and Religion.

Work toward the baccalaureate and associate degrees may be pursued in the day and evening during fall, winter, spring and summer terms. Graduate students attend evening and weekend classes which are scheduled year-round. Online courses are also available.