The college was established at the start of the 20th century when it was housed near Kinnaird High School. Initial tuition focused on Intermediate classes beginning in 1913, followed by B.A. The college moved to Jail Road in 1926 after it was determined that more space was needed. In 1933, the college acquired land near Lahore's canal and new buildings were constructed to house the increasing numb
ers of girls studying at the college. By 1939 the college had grown into a 20-acre (81,000 m2) campus. Kinnaird College, the premier women's college in Pakistan, was founded in 1913 by the Zenana and Bible Medical Mission, now called Interserve. Pupils of Kinnaird High School (founded 1864) pleaded to continue their education. so the first Intermediate class (FA) started with Miss Joan McDonald as Principal. BA classes commenced in 1917. The American Presbyterian Mission and the Church Missionary Society joined in 1919 to make Kinnaird a union institution. Others followed. From 1913 to 1922 the college was the only women's liberal arts college in the Punjab. The science department was not founded until 1950 - two world wars, lack of finance and partition of the subcontinent were the main hindrances. The student body grew from 6 to 170 by 1951. (By 2010 it was over 4,000). The early students were mainly Christians joined by more and more Hindus. Kinnaird College moved from its first site in and around Kinnaird High School in 1926 to Lake Road, and in 1938 to its present site. In 1932 the Principal, Miss McNair, agonized about moving to Agra where the College had been offered the campus of St. John's College. This offer was declined, and Kinnaird with its campus was preserved. After independence of Pakistan 1947, the Hindus and Sikhs students migrated to India while Muslims migrated to Pakistan. Kinnaird College has became a predominantly Muslim college.
