The College is governed by its own elected Council and has offered residency, academic, and social support to students for 150 years.

St Andrew's College was incorporated by Act of Parliament and received Royal Assent from Queen Victoria on 12 December 1867.

This change meant the Principal may be a member of the laity and the religious affiliation of councillors was broadened to include all Protestants.

In 2001, the College Council resolved to admit female undergraduates for the first time, with the first such students taking up residence at the commencement of the 2002 academic year.

St Andrew's College is home to 336 male and female undergraduate and graduate students and resident Fellows.

Scottish born Peter Cameron was appointed Principal of St Andrew's College in 1991, and thus became a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

He was charged for disagreeing with the first chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith (which as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, he was required "firmly and constantly to adhere thereto and to the utmost of [his] power to maintain and defend"[4]) by questioning the writings of Paul in the New Testament.

In the sermon, Cameron supported the ordination of women to the ministry, criticised the Church's hard line on homosexuality, and attacked fundamentalist Christianity in general (Jensen, nd)[5] (de Maria, 1999)[6] The college, along with other University of Sydney colleges, has encountered a reasonable amount of criticism in recent years over student behavior and culture.

[8] In response to these allegations, The college responded to the Broderick Report with a cultural renewal plan (2018-2019), focusing in particular on hazing, alcohol misuse, sexual misconduct, and harassment.

In May 2020 graffiti stating "nothing has changed" and "end rape on campus" appeared on the walls of the college in response to continued reports of hazing, sexism, and white nationalism.

[11] In 2021 there were continued media accusations, with claims that the college featured an environment of privilege in which students were partying and disrespecting rules throughout the July COVID-19 lockdown.

The cup is fought for throughout the year by men representing each of the University of Sydney Colleges accumulating points by competing in cricket, rowing, swimming, rugby, tennis, soccer, basketball and athletics.