The Victoria Institution, originally named as the Native Ladies Normal and Adult School, was founded on 1st February, 1871, by Brahmananda Keshub Chandra Sen under the auspices of the Indian Reform Association of which he was the President. The aim of the Institution, as laid down by Keshub Chandra Sen, was to build up a scheme of education "specially adapted to the requirement of the female mind and calculated to fit woman for her position in the society”. Education, Keshub believed, should be "both natural and national" and his followers pursued the aim with apostolic fervor while nurturing the Institution. In 1932, the college section of the Institution was set up under the patronage of Maharani Suniti Devi, Maharani Sucharu Devi (daughters of Keshub Chandra) and other Board members among whom was Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy who took keen interest in the growth of the Institution and remained associated with it till death. The college which started I.A. and I. Sc. course in 1932 soon became a first grade women's college teaching up to B.A. Honours course in several subjects (1935). The science section of the college was opened in 1950. To meet the growing demand from the girls aspiring for higher education the morning section of the college was opened in 1963. In the Platinum Jubilee Year (2006-07) the college introduced B. Com (Hons.) and B.A./B.Sc. (Major) Vocational Streams. At present the college has 8 departments in Arts and 8 departments in Science sections conducting Honours, Major and General courses for nearly 2400 students. It is a study centre for distance education of Netaji Subhas Open University.
Over the years goals and objectives of the Victoria Institution College have been redefined keeping in mind women's growing role in different sectors of public life. But Keshub Chandra Sen's "comprehensive scheme of education" through special lectures, distance education ('antapur shiksha'), vocational training and physical training still forms the core of the education system of the Victoria Institution (College).
For more than seven decades the Victoria Institution (College) has been rendering commendable service for the promotion of women education in Bengal combining successfully heritage tradition with modernisation. The location of the college in the house of its Founder, a great soul, a harmonizer of all religions and one of the greatest social reformers of modern India, cannot fail to produce a wholesome and ennobling influence on the mind of the students and the staff of the college and inspire them to keep aloft the founder's ideal. The mission of the college is to realize founder's dream "one society, one religion, one world".