D.A.V. Post Graduate College, Varanasi was established by its mother institution, Arya Vidya Sabha, Kashi, with the idea of opening an institution in the heart of the city, under the umbrella of Banaras Hindu University, to provide value- and skill-based education. Two disciples of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Ji — Pt. Ram Narayan Mishra and Shri Gauri Shankar Prasad — were instrumental in establishing the college. It was established in 1938 as an Intermediate college recognised by BHU, received degree status from the University in 1947, and permanent affiliation in 1954. The college began by running undergraduate courses in the faculties of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce. In 2008, BHU allowed the college to start Ph.D. research and Post Graduate courses in Commerce, Sociology, Economics and History; PG and Ph.D. courses in Psychology, Political Science and English followed from 2010-11, and in Hindi and A.I.H.C. & Archaeology from 2014-15. Admission to UG, PG and Ph.D. programmes is through the Joint Entrance Test (UET, PET and CRET) conducted by BHU, and, per the official Admission page, currently also via CUET (UG) and CUET (PG) scores released by NTA. The college is the only NAAC A+ recognised of its kind referenced on its own NAAC page and is ISO Certified for 2025-27. Its library holds around 52,000 books and 56 periodicals, provides access to INFLIBNET (N-List) and the National Digital Library of India, and has uploaded all 80 of the college's Ph.D. theses to ShodhGanga. The college also offers UGC-sponsored career-oriented/add-on courses — Under Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications (UGDCA), Communicative English, Travel & Tourism Management, Risk & Insurance Management, Hindi Patrakarita and a PG Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy.