Wilson College, Mumbai

The Wilson College, set up in 1832 in Mumbai, is one of India’s oldest colleges; its foundation precedes that of the University of Mumbai, to which it is affiliated, by 25 years. It was awarded an A rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2005.Located opposite Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty, the college building was constructed in 1889 and designed by John Adams in the domestic Victorian Gothic style. It is listed as a Grade III heritage structure in the city. As of 2011, the college offered a variety of subjects for both higher secondary and undergraduate students which include University Aided courses for the Arts and the Sciences as well as self-financed courses such as Mass Media, Information Technology, Management Studies, Biotechnology and Computer Science.HistoryThe Wilson College was founded by the Indian missionary Rev. John Wilson, in 1832. Beginning as Ambroli English School in Girgaum, Mumbai, it later saw several changes of sites and names, eventually being called the Wilson School. The collegiate section, from which Wilson College evolved, came about in 1836.Soon after their arrival in Mumbai in February 1829, Wilson and his wife Margaret Wilson began studying the local Marathi language. Margaret started a school for girls in 1829 at Ambroli House in Girgaum at Mumbai, with Marathi being the chief medium of instruction and learning. An English boarding school was opened in 1832, which later became the St. Columba School. The Ambroli English School is the direct forerunner of the present college.