SBI Clerk Admit Card 2025 Out

Oldest Colleges in Delhi: Check Courses Offered, History and Other Details

Delhi, India’s educational and administrative hub, houses some of the country’s oldest colleges and universities. From St Stephen’s College to Delhi University, these institutions are not only providing a wide rangeof courses, but also have a long legacy of shaping India’s leaders, reformers and intellectuals.

Pratyasha Chaturvedi
Sep 14, 2025, 23:22 IST
Oldest Colleges in Delhi
Oldest Colleges in Delhi

Oldest Colleges in Delhi:- Delhi, India’s capital city, is more than just an administrative centre; it is also a hub of education. Over the years, Delhi has witnessed many cultural movements, political changes, and educational advancements. Delhi has also produced numerous colleges and universities, and has given rise to some of India’s most powerful politicians, reformers, and academicians.  

Delhi’s educational institutions, renowned for their diversity and blend of tradition with modernity, also provide world-class learning opportunities. This article will discuss the list of Delhi’s oldest and most significant institutions, and they continue to influence India’s future. Before we start with the list of oldes colleges and universities in Delhi, you’ll also find a few questions placed at different intervals to make the article more interactive.

1. Which oldest college of Delhi is famously known the support of the nationalist movement during India’s freedom struggle? 🕰️

  • St. Stephen’s College
  • Hindu College
  • Jamia Millia Islamia

Also, check:-

List of Oldest Colleges and Universities in Delhi

Delhi is home to some of India’s oldest colleges and universities, many of which were established in the 1800s and in the early 1900s. These are the oldest colleges and universities that are recognised not only for their academic excellence, but also for their contribution to India’s freedom movement, cultural identity and political leadership.

2. Which oldest college of Delhi, founded in 1926, is most prestigious for commerce and economics? 📕

  • Lady Shri Ram College
  • Rajmas College
  • Shri Ram College of Commerce
  • Zakir Hussain Delhi College

From the elite halls of St. Stephen’s Colleges to the intellectual debates of Jawaharlal Nehru, the oldest colleges and universities of Delhi have produced reformers, thinkers, leaders and artists who are still making an impact around the world. Below is the list of the oldest colleges and universities in India that are still in existence and offer various courses, along with their establishment year and a little about their history:-

Oldest Colleges and Universities

Year

Zakir Hussain Delhi College 

1792 

History:- This is the oldest college, dating back to the late 17th century, when Ghaziuddin Khan, one of Emperor Aurangzeb's leading Deccan commanders and the father of the first Nizam of Hyderabad, established a Madrasa. The wealthy society of Delhi helped with the creation of an oriental college for literature, science, and art in 1792. 

St. Stephen’s College

1881

History:- This college was founded on February 1, 1881, by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The Cambridge Mission was founded by Dons from Cambridge University, with Canon Samuel Scott Allnutt also served as the first Principal of the college. IN 1977, the Cambridge Brotherhood arrived in Delhi to strengthen the school’s teachings. 17 year 1879, the government dissolved Delhi College, leaving the city and the surrounding districts without access to higher education and in 1881, St.Stephen’s College stepped into the breach.

Hindu College, Delhi

1899

History:- The Hindu College was founded by the late Shri Krishna Dassji Gurwale near the famous Kinari Bazar (Chandni Chowk), with renowned Delhi citizens serving as trustees. Since 1899, boarding houses have served as student residences. The college has been intimately engaged with the national independence movement since its foundation. The Hindu College was previously connected with Panjab University; the College is now affiliated with the University of Delhi

Rajmas College

1917

History:- The Rajmas College was founded in 1917 by famous academician and philanthropist Rai Kedar Nath and is one of  Delhi’s oldest colleges. The college offers a huge campus, esteemed faculty, and cutting-edge facilities. The college offers a wide range of courses, extracurricular activities and many other facilities.

Jamia Millia Islamia

1920

History:- Jamia Millia Islamia was founded in 1920 in Aligarh and became a Central University in 1988 through an act of the Indian Parliament. In Urdu, ‘Jamia’ means ‘University’, while ‘Millia’ means ‘National’. In Novembor 1920, Hakim Ajmal Khan was chosen as the first chancellor of Jamia.

University of Delhi

1922

History:- Established in 1922 as a unitary, teaching and residential university by the  Act of th Central Legislative Assembly. The University of Delhi is a leading university of the country with a respected legacy and international acclaim for the highest academic education standards, distinguished faculty, diverse educational program, notable alumni, distinguished faculty, and a wide range of co-curricular activities.


3. Jamia Millia Islamia, which was established in 1920, is known for which particular course? 📚
  • Commerce
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Mathematics

Delhi is not only the political capital of India but also its educational capital in many ways. Delhi alos houses oldest colleges and universities and carry forward a legacy if intellectual growth, cultural vibrancy, and political leadership. These colleges and universities have shaped the destiny of the nation by producing leaders who influence not just India but the world.

Also, check:-

Get here latest updates and details about B.Tech Colleges, MBA Colleges, Law, Design, Mass Communication and Medical Colleges along with courses, fees, cut off and related entrance exams.

Trending

Related Stories