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SNDT Women’s University is the first Women’s university in India as well as in South-East Asia. The University was founded by Maharshi Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve in 1916 for the noble cause of Women’s Education. The first five women graduated in 1921 from this University. The University Headquarters is in Churchgate Campus, Mumbai, and two campuses are at Juhu, Mumbai and Karve Road, Pune besides three campuses at Palghar, Shriwardhan and Chandrapur in Maharashtra. 

In a century-long existence, the university has grown into a multidisciplinary institution hosting diverse professional, technical and liberal arts programmes from K12 to PhD. SNDTWU is probably one such university where there is a Nursery school as a laboratory for the Human Development Department, pioneering Research Centre for Women's Studies, Centre for Distance & Online Education, and affiliated institutions for doctoral programmes. 

Unlike most universities in the country, which have to have state jurisdiction, SNDTWU is unique in terms of jurisdiction. SNDTWU can affiliate colleges/institutions anywhere in India with prior consent from the State Government. 

SNDT Women's University is committed to the cause of women's empowerment through access to education, particularly higher education, through relevant courses in the formal and non-formal streams. The university is committed to meeting the changing socio-economic needs, with human values and purposeful social responsibility, and to achieve excellence with “Quality in every Activity” through vocational and professional courses for women. The motto of the university is “An enlightened woman is a source of infinite strength”. SNDTWU is home to 1100 teaching and non-teaching staff members and 85,000 students spread across seven states. There are 38 University Departments, 16 conducted colleges/institutions, 381 affiliated colleges across India.

SNDT Women's University ranked 23rd amongst Government multi-disciplinary universities of India and State Multidisciplinary Universities it retained its 18th rank. and retained its third rank as Multidisciplinary Universities in West Zone according to the Week-Hansa Research ranking of 2025.  (Some Excerpts from https://sndt.ac.in/about-us)