Thiagarajar College, Madurai

Thiagarajar College is an autonomous arts and science college on Kamarajar Salai, Teppakulam, in Madurai, affiliated to Madurai Kamaraj University. The philanthropist Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar founded it on 7 July 1949, and the then Governor of Madras State inaugurated it that October; it opened with three undergraduate courses. A private co-educational college with government-aided and self-financed streams, it is managed by the Kalaithanthai Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar Memorial Trust on a 13.1-acre campus. The UGC granted it autonomy in 1987, and NAAC accredited it with an A++ grade (CGPA 3.63) in its fourth cycle in 2021.

The college now offers 31 undergraduate, 16 postgraduate and 10 Ph.D. programmes, along with diploma and certificate courses, in subjects ranging from Tamil, English and economics to commerce, business administration, computer science, mathematics and the physical and life sciences, plus an AICTE-approved MBA. Classes run in a morning shift and a self-financed afternoon shift. Applicants apply online and are selected on merit against each programme's eligibility rules. In NIRF 2025 it is ranked 20th in the college category.