Samaldas Arts College, Bhavnagar was established in 1885 by Late Maharaja Sir Takhtasinhji of Bhavnagar who had provided land and required deposit money to have an institution of higher education.

It is one of the oldest colleges of Saurashtra region established with an aim to impart & provide in the field of higher education for the deserving candidates and prove to be a milestone in the part of progress.

The college is affiliated to M.K. Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar and recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) & 12(B) under Act, 1956. It is accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

The college willingly named it "Samaldas College" in remembrance of his Diwan Samaldas Mehta. Bombay University had given the affiliation to the institution and thereafter the college has never seen back in her long career.

During these 132 years of prestigious-encouraging history where Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, has studied, the institution shifted its buildings as the time passed. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone of the present building.

Right from Prof. R. H. Ganian, there is a galaxy of principals who have taken pleasure and pain along with their teaching community to develop the college. Prof. T. K. Shahani (1923-1948), Prof. J. B. Sendil (1952-62), Prof. B. C. Desai (1962-66), Prof. S. M. Shah (1967-70), Prof. A. S. Prabhudesai (1975-77) and Dr. A. A. Shaikh (From 1994) are few of them.

The college offers two years undergraduate course in Arts stream under M.K. Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar. It also offers some Add-on courses.