Effat University

Effat University was founded as Effat College in 1999 by HRH Queen Effat Al Thunayan Al Saud (God rest her soul) and achieved the university status in 2009, becoming the first private non-profit female university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Seen as the founding mother of education in the Kingdom, Queen Effat broke new ground in establishing it as one of the cornerstones on which our nation is built. Her legacy of excellence and passion for education lives on in Effat today, and we’re proud to be one of the most forward-looking universities for women in the Middle East.

Effat University is fully accredited by the Saudi Arabian National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA). We work to the highest international standards and partner with the world’s finest institutions. We break new ground; both with the programs we run and the academic quality we deliver. Effat University provides a protective, safe environment in which our students and staff are inspired and motivated to gain that same passion for advancement. The mission of the university is to qualify tomorrow’s competitive leaders with a world-class education, by providing an interdisciplinary environment conducive to research, community service, and lifelong learning.

The vision of the university is to emerge as one of the world’s leading academic institutions through the enrichment of knowledge, professional practice and culture. It will inspire leaders of the future to become living ambassadors for the legacy of Queen Effat Al-Thunayan Al-Saud (God rest her soul).

Effat University has been awarded 5 stars in the categories of Employability and Facilities, and 4 stars in the category of Teaching by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in 2015. We have also won the King AbdulAziz Quality Award (Private Universities) in May 2016.

Effat University, with more than 3000 undergraduate students, offers 13 different degree programs, most of them are unique programs that were the first to be introduced to females in the kingdom when they were first introduced. All these unique programs are offered within four colleges, namely, Effat College of Engineering, Effat College of Business, Effat College of Science and Humanities, and Effat College of Architecture & Design. Furthermore, Effat University offers the first master degree of its kind in the kingdom in Islamic Financial Management. In addition, Effat University recently started the Masters in Urban Design and the Masters in Translation Studies. Effat Ambassadors Program is a unique co-curricular program that equips all Effat students with the skills, experiences, and attitudes necessary for intellectual, social, moral, physical and professional development. 

Effat University built strong relationships and agreements with very well-established international institutions and universities. Among its renowned partners are: Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Duke University, University of Miami, and many more.

In addition to that, The Deanship of Graduate Studies and Research at the university established three research centers: Smart Buildings Research Center, Virtual Reality Research Center, E-Arabization Research Center, and Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Center.

Furthermore, Effat University offers variety of courses and diplomas for the outside community through the Executive Education and Community Services Institute; such as, foreign languages, graphic design, computer, and many more.