Affiliated to the University of Kerala, the College is managed by the Sree Narayana Trusts, Kollam, one of the leading educational agencies in the state. Bearing in letter and spirit the name of Sree Narayana Guru (1854-1928), the great saint-philosopher, social reformer and mystic poet, the college was started in 1948 by S.N.D.P Yogam and its able and inspiring leader R. In 1952 the Sree Narayana
Trusts was formed to manage and mastermind the activities of the Yogam. Since its inception in 1948, Sree Narayana College, Kollam has not only spearheaded the uplift of the socially and educationally backward sections of our society but has also created a glorious history of outstanding academic activities, thus making itself the leader of the institutions of higher education in the state. The college was started in 1948 with 505 students at the Intermediate level. The very next year it was elevated to a degree college and in 1957 it attained membership in the prestigious club of postgraduate colleges. Today the college offers 17 undergraduate and 13 postgraduate courses. Eight of the postgraduate departments are approved research centres as well. In addition, the college offers two PG diploma courses, two certificate courses and a UGC sponsored Spoken Sanskrit Course. The institution further provides facilities (both infrastructure and faculty) for conducting contact classes of the correspondence courses under University of Kerala and counselling of IGNOU study programmes coordinated by the IGNOU Study Centre.
