The inception of Tinsukia College in the year 1956 was the result of the strenuous efforts of Late B. K. Saraswatji who mobilized all required resources with the help of like-minded citizens of Tinsukia, a part of the then Lakhimpur District to give rise to this great institution. Without their support and patronage, the college would never have come into being. Before the college came to be located in the present premises at Kachujan, in 1961; it started out in the present premises of Senairam Higher Secondary School on 1st September 1956. The college started as an Arts College initially at intermediate level but in the very next year, Commerce stream was introduced. In 1957 itself the college was upgraded to Degree level. The year 1964 has a special significance in the annals of Tinsukia College when the Science stream was also added making it a full-fledged Degree college. For an educational institution to rise to this level within a span of eight years of its inception is a feat in itself. Till 1964, courses were conducted under the auspices of Gauhati University but with the establishment of Dibrugarh University in 1965, the college was brought under its jurisdiction. Until 1961 this institution was run by the benevolent contributions of the public, but in 1962 it was accorded the status of “Deficit-in-aid” college enabling the college to receive financial grants from the Govt. of Assam. Later on in 1969, with the recognition of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, the college became eligible for receipt of planned financial assistance for development schemes. Later the Govt. of Assam took a historic decision to provincialise all deficit grant-in-aid colleges w.e.f. 1st December 2005 and subsequently Tinsukia College enjoys the status of Provincialise College.
The college made a gradual growth on the merit of its students, the dedication of teachers and the vision of the principals. An institution that initiated its academic endeavour with a handful of students and four faculty members now has grown into a huge family with an enrolment of more than 3500 students and a teaching fraternity with almost 80 members contributing to the growth of this premier institution of higher education. This Co-ed institution has been imparting education both at Higher Secondary & Degree levels in 5 faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Management and Computer Science. Currently, the college has altogether 17 departments, viz. Assamese, Bengali, Botany, Chemistry, Commerce, Computer Science, Economics, English, Geography, Hindi, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Statistics and Zoology. Except Bengali and Computer Science all the other departments offer Honours courses at the degree level.
Besides, it provides two professional degree courses, viz, BBA and BCA. The college has a study centre of Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University under which several UG and PG courses are offered.