Rajagiri College of Management & Applied Sciences together with its sister educational institutions, owes its existence to the CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) Fathers, the first ever indigenous religious congregation for men in the Syrian Catholic tradition of Christianity in India formed in the 19th century by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. The CMIs have built institutions that are considered leaders in their area. The CMI journey in the field of Higher Education begins with the establishment of Sacred Heart College (S.H. College), Thevara in 1944.

The Rajagiri High School that is situated in Cochin was in fact one of the first schools to have come in the unaided sector when it was established in 1964. The Rajagiri Schools, which comprise the Rajagiri Kindergarten, Rajagiri Higher Secondary School and Rajagiri Public School, are prestigious schools of the state. The pioneering vision has created the Rajagiri College of Social Sciences that houses the School of Social Work, School of Management and the School of Computer Science all of which have become premier schools of education in the country. The Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology has already earned the reputation as one of the best engineering colleges in the state. Presently the CMIs manage a network of over 200 schools, 15 affiliated colleges, 12 technical institutes, one Medical college, one Engineering college, three BEd colleges, five special schools, 18 non formal educational institutions and 17 cultural centres.