The college has been recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is accredited by NAAC with A+ grade.
The college has twelve teaching departments which offers various undergraduate and nine postgraduate courses in arts, science and commerce.
Its departments of Commerce, Botany, Zoology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Malayalam and English are approved research centers of the University of Kerala.
S. D. College was founded by K. Parthasarathy Iyengar and V. Sundara Raja Naidu as a contribution towards the educational uplift of the district of Alappuzha.
The college was established under the management of Sanatana Dharma Vidyasala and was inaugurated on 20 June 1946 by Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer.