Established in 1540, the St. Xavier's College is a Catholic institution, which strives to mould men and women, especially Christians and the marginalized. It is named after St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit saint of the 16th Century who traveled to India. The College was founded by the Society of Jesus, a Christian religious group. It is an affiliated college of University of Bombay.
The main College library has a vast collection of books, some of which date back to the 16th century. Nadkarni - Sacasa Research Laboratory, Social Science Centre, Caius Research Laboratory, Blatter Herbarium, Indian Historical Research Institute, and Xavier Institute of Counseling are the institutions working on the college campus. The St. Xavier's College Association links institution and the students. Indian Music Group, Students' Union Council, Adventurer’s and Mountaineer’s Club are the students clubs at the college. The college offers degree courses in Commerce, arts, science, Mass Media and post graduate courses in Ancient Indian Culture, Islamic Studies, History, Chemistry, Geology, and Botany.
