The Ideal College of Arts and Sciences(A), Kakinada was established as Junior College in 1970 inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and former Prime Minister of India Sri P. V. Narasimha Rao. With the constant efforts of the founder members, a group of Intellectuals, Educationists and patriots like Dr. Col. D. S. Raju, a close associate of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, the former Prime Minister of India, Dr. P. V .N. Raju, Dr. P. Chiranjeevini Kumari, Dr. N. S. R. Sastry and others.
The College was formed by the Education Society, Kakinada through the education policy adopted by the State Government under the Chairmanship of Dr. P. V. N. Raju. The Secretary and Correspondent of the College is Dr. P. Chiranjeevini Kumari a renowned educationist, scholar and famous writer in Telugu Literature under whose guidance and administration the College has been flourishing year after year. The Governing Body members of the College campaigned the entire district and created awareness among the parents and students for the immediate necessity of co-education Degree College in Kakinada with the support from the government. As a result the Ideal Degree College was established and the College now caters to the educational needs of youth around 25 Villages including the town Kakinada. Subsequently Ideal Degree College was renamed as Ideal College of Arts & Sciences , Kakinada
The Ideal college of Arts and Sciences is conferred autonomy by UGC and accredited by NAAC Bangalore with B++ grade in 2006.
The college is located in urban area and has two campuses, which are spread over a total area of a little over 13 acres. The distance between the campuses is about 2 Km. The college is a grant-in- aid institution and receives grants/funds, both from the State Government and UGC. Four programmes in UG and Six programmes in PG level are offered in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce , Management and Computer Science. Programmes B.Sc and B.Com offer both English and Telugu medium, Whereas B.A. in Telugu medium only. All the PG courses are offered under the self-financing scheme.
The college has 16 departments with a total of 132 with faculty and supporting staff, out of which 11 Departments come under aided category. The progression of the college is more than 70% in the areas of admission into higher P.G. courses and placement in several Government administration agencies, Medical , Pharmaceutical, Law , Educational Institutions, Industries, Banks, Railways, Police Department, R.T.C., I.T. and other areas.
The College conducts quality promoting activities like workshops, Seminars, Orientation Programme, Voters awareness programme and Training Programmes in collaboration with District administration, District Youth Welfare Office, District Court and other voluntary organizations like Peoples Science Movement & University N.S.S units.
The College is the first Aided College in the District to be conferred Autonomy and NAAC accrediation.
Eminent Educationists like Vice-chancellors of the Universities, members of NAAC, Magsaysay Award winners and Lead Bank Managers are a few who visited the College and inspired the students.
Many of the Alumni of the college are working in group I and group II services of State Government , as Judges in High Court of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana , Lawyers, District Magistrates, Medical Professional's , Professors in Universities & major industrialists.
The College has a destination and is well noted for its participation in Public activities like writers workshops, State Library Conferences, Literary movements, Anti-war rallies, Red-Ribbon rally, Anti-Alcoholic , Anti-Smoking and Youth programmes.
The State Government has decided the policy of online admission for all the Colleges in the State. A schedule of admission is notified through media. Dates of options are given. The admissions are done on merit basis, College wise and reporting date will be announced. The list of admitted candidate is merit wise, community wise and women quota. The College management is given 30% of the intake section wise. The fee schedule also is announced by the Government itself. Dates of starting classes are intimated to students and Management.