It was founded by Solomon Schechter in 1909 as the Teachers Institute with the original goal of training American Jewish educators.
A co-educational school from its inception, the Teachers Institute was one of the few places in the country where women could study Judaics on a collegiate level.
Mordecai Kaplan served as the school's first dean; his leadership and vision led to early successes.
In 1953, the scope of List College was greatly broadened by the establishment of a joint program with Columbia University, enabling students to simultaneously earn two bachelor's degrees—one from each school.
While the original intention of the Teachers Institute was to train young Jewish educators, List College students pursue a variety of career paths upon completion of the program.