Women’s Christian College was founded on 7th July 1915 as a joint venture of 12 missionary societies from England and USA.  In 1916 it was declared a first grade college and was shifted to its present campus on College Road in Nungambakkam located in the heart of Chennai City.  It fulfills its mission to provide higher education to women of India in liberal arts and sciences.  It is affiliated to the University of Madras and was given recognition as an autonomous college in 1982.  At present it is a state subsidized minority institution following the Choice Based Credit System. It has grown to a strength of over 2366 students and 144 members of Faculty in the aided and self-financing sections and 110 members of the non-teaching staff.

The mission of this women’s college, as it was stated by the founder-Principal Dr Miss Eleanor McDougall is specific and contextual; “We can do no better service to India, than to liberate the energies of wisdom and devotion which are latent in her women and to infuse into them the vital ideals of Christianity.  The mission was reinterpreted from time to time to suit the changing aspirations and needs of its wards, and of women in general.  While the mission is still couched in its original ideal of liberation of women for uninhibited total development, it is made comprehensive to include the objective of offering an education that can create generations of intellectually excellent, morally upright, spiritually inspired and professionally sound young women to illuminate their own homes and their home land.  Within the first week of its start, the college motto, “Lighted to Lighten” was decided; the college flower, the sunflower (flower of light) was chosen; the college crest was designed and the college song, “Alma mater” was set to the tune of Finlandia composed by Sibelius.