Bishop Heber College (BHC), Tiruchirappalli was established in 1864. Its affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli.

Bishop Heber College is a religious minority educational institution established by the Tiruchirappalli - Thanjavur Diocese of the Church of South India. Its main objective is to cater for the higher educational needs of the members of the Church of South India and other Christians and specially to provide for them an educational atmosphere in keeping with the Christian ideals of the Church. The College, however, admits students of all faiths and religions and seeks to provide for them the best possible higher education.

Bishop Heber College traces its origin back to Christian Frederick Schwartz, the first German missionary, supported by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K) in South India. He built a school near the Rock Fort in Tiruchirappalli in 1762. The School was vested in the S.P.C.K, and subsequently handed over to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel(S.P.G) in 1825. Reginald Heber, the Lord Bishop of Calcutta, came to Tiruchirappalli in 1826 on his way to Sri Lanka. He visited the school on the morning of the 3rd of April and expressed the wish that better buildings might be provided. He also spoke to the Tamil Congregation and later in the morning died of apoplexy in the cold water bath in the District Court Compound here. He was buried in St. John's Church, Trichy. The School was renamed Heber Memorial School.

The Heber Memorial School became a full-fledged high school in 1864 and sent its pupils for the Matriculation Examination. In 1873 the School was raised to a Second Grade College and in 1882 it became a First Grade College. It was then known as S.P.G College. It was the first college to be established in Tiruchirappalli. Honours courses in History and Mathematics were introduced in 1925.

The College came to be known as Bishop Heber College in the late 1920's and its Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1926 under the Presidentship of the then Governor of Madras, Lord Goschen.

The Lindsay Commission on Christian Higher Education in India recommended the merger of the Bishop Heber College with the Madras Christian College. Accordingly, Bishop Heber College was closed in 1934 and the Bishop Geber Hall emerged at Madras Christian College, Tambaram.

The people of Tiruchirapalli, howver, were nothappy about the closure of the College. Right from the year 1946, efforts were made to revive Bishio Heber College but in vain. The Most Rev. Dr. Solomon Doraisawmy, who was consecrated Bishop of Tiruchirappalli - Thanjavaur Diocese in 1964, Plunged heart and soul into the effort to review the College. He Succeeded in reviving the College on 24th June 1966.

The College functioned at Teppakulam in the old college building from 1966 to 1968, having only Pre-University classes. In July 1968 the College was upgraded to the Degree Standard with three Degree Courses viz. History, Economics and Mathematics and the Degree Classes were conducted at Puthur, where the College has acquired a site for its permanent buildings.

For four years from 1968 to 1972, the College functioned in two places, the Pre-University Classes at Teppakulam and the Degree Classes at Puthur. The College grew not only in strength but also in popularity and academic excellence and attracted students from all over Tamil Nadu. In the meantime, The College managed to secure financial aid form the Protestant Central Agency for Co-operation in Development, Bonn, Germany for the construction of its permanent buildings. The building scheme was taken in hand early in 1970 and four new buildings were opened in 1972. Many more buildings have since been added and the College now has a beautiful campus with lovely gardens.

The revived College celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1992, the 40th Anniversary in 2006, and the Golden JUbilee in 2016.

National Recognition

The College was accredited with 5 stars by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) on 21st May 2001 and was reaccredited at the A+ Level on 31st March 2007. Also our College was recognized by the UGC as "College with Potential for Excellence" on September 2011. In the 3rd Cycle of reaccreditation, the NAAC awarded the college with 'A' Grade (CGPA:3.58/4.0) and the college as a whole, was granted with the prestigious FIST Grant (of Rs. 1. Crore) by the Department of Science & Techniology, New Delhi. Further, in the same year, it was identified by the Department of Biotechnology for the "Star Colleg Scheme" for a special grant of 55 Lakhs.

Surpassing all these, in the same year, the college was recognized as the "College of Excellence" with a special grant of Rs. 2 Crore.

It is very wonderful and remarkable that the college was celebrating its Golden Jubilee in 2016 with receiving all these prestigious awards. As the slogan og Golden Jubilee goes "Excel and Empower", the College continues to excel in different dimensions and empower the yound men and women, especially those form the weaker sections of the society.

VISION

Bishop Heber College, a Higher Education Institution of Excellence, is committed to transforming young learners to be competent and socially conscious through holistic education, ensuring inclusivity and equity, inspired by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

MISSION

Bishop Heber College strives to impart Whole Person Education through Academic Excellence, Spiritual, Social and Ecological consciousness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Partnership and Networking, thereby contributing to Nation building.

CORE VALUES

SPIRITUALITY

• Compassion
• Mutual Love & Respect
• Stewardship
• Empathy
• Reaching - Out the Outreached
• Counselling the needy
• Selfless Service

VALUES

• Integrity
• Dignity
• Genuiness
• Courage
• Accountability
• Consistency
• Openness

WHOLE PERSON EDUCATION

• Ethical & Professional Values
• Good Health & Wellbeing
• Agility & Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence
• Servant Leadership
• Productive Citizenship
• Social Consciousness

ECO-CONSCIOUSNESS

• Care for Nature
• Sustainable Living
• Optional Resource Utilization
• Self-Reliance
• Environmenal Stewardship
• Indigenous Designing
• ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
• Global Competency
• Quest for Excellence
• Digtal Proficiency
• Scientific Acumen
• Networking and Partnership
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Quality Sustenance