The Government of Tamil Nadu established the Tirunelveli Medical College in 1965, with the agreement of the University of Madras. A total of 75 students were admitted for the MBBS course for the academic year 1965-66 and they had their first year of study at the St Xaviers College for Men and Sarah Tucker College for Women. The college is present over a sprawling campus of around 286 acres and has lecture halls, libraries, reading rooms, auditoria and 2 separate hostels for men (The House of Princes, The House of Lords) and 2 for women (The House of Angels). There is a Central Animal House with a wide range of common laboratory animals, for conduction of research programme. The hospital is 500 meters to the west of the main college campus, and the men's hostel is 500 meters southeast of the campus. The college is among the top 5 in terms of UG course (MBBS) offered across the state Tamil Nadu.