St. Berchmans College, Changanassery, also known as SB College, is the first Autonomous College in Kerala, India with 3000 students with 800 hostlers. Saint John Berchmans is the patron saint of the college and is venerated in the Church as the Patron of Students. It is a Syrian Catholic college and widely regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges for arts and sciences in India, producing a line of distinguished alumni. It is situated in the town of Changanassery 18 kilometers south of Kottayam. Established in 1922, the college has nineteen postgraduate and eight research departments. Students and alumni are called ‘Berchmanites’. It is run by the CatholicArchdiocese of Changanassery, is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam and is recognized by the University Grants Commission. St. Berchmans' has a sprawling green campus and large play grounds. The college was granted autonomy by the UGC on 13 June 2014. College ranked 62 in All India Ranking by National Institutional Ranking Framework in 2019.
Accreditation
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council awarded Five Star status to St. Berchmans' College, in the first cycle of accreditation, A+ status on the second and A grade on the third; the top grading of each cycle. The UGC has recognised St. Berchmans' College as one among the six colleges in Kerala accorded with the status of 'College with Potential for Excellence'. The college has won the R. Sankar award presented by the Government of Kerala to the best college in Kerala twice in a row.
Research areas in science include Material science, Nanotechnology, Polymer Chemistry, Plant Taxonomy and Environmental Sciences. The college conducted an international conference on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development participated in by delegates from 26 countries in 2005. Apart from academics, the college has two units of National Service Scheme in which 200 volunteers can be enrolled. NSS gives various avenues for its volunteers to engage in various campus and community activities which lead to the personality development of its volunteers. The popular extra-curricular societies and clubs engage in activities concerned with Jesus Youth, debating, dramatics, film club, social service, photography, It is the only college in India, apart from St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, to have a full-fledged Shakespearian Theatre. Shakespearian plays have been regularly staged since 1938.
