Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Business and Administration, Computer and Information Science, Science, Art and Design, Education, Languages and Translation
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University is a public women’s university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, formerly called Riyadh University for Women. It is described as the largest women’s university in the world. It is named after Noura bint Abdul Rahman, a sister of King Abdulaziz.
The history starts in 1970, when the Kingdom’s first women’s College of Education was founded under King Faisal. In 2004 the women’s colleges of Riyadh were unified into the first all-female university of the Kingdom. In 2008 the institution received university status and its present name from King Abdullah. Al Jawhara bint Fahd Al Saud became the first rector. The new campus was officially opened on 12 June 2011.
The scale is large. The campus covers 13 million square metres and was built in two years with about 75,000 construction workers. It includes about 600 buildings, among them a university hospital. The library holds more than two million books and can take five million. A campus metro, the PNU-APM, runs over 11.5 kilometres with four lines and 14 stations, and it opened in 2012. The capacity reaches up to 60,000 students, which is the maximum capacity and not the current enrolment. More than 5,000 academic and administrative employees work there.
Teaching is organised in 34 colleges in Riyadh and nearby cities. In health, the colleges are Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. In science, they are Business and Administration, Computer and Information Science, and Science. The humanities group includes Art and Design, Arts, Education, Home Economics, Social Work, and Languages and Translation. The university also runs a Community College, an Arabic Language Institute and Continuing Education.
New students follow a Preparatory Year Program of two years. UNIRANKS placed the university 11th in Saudi Arabia in 2025. Applicants should check the admission rules on the official pages. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
The campus is designed as a city in itself, with its own transport, hospital and library, and this shapes daily student life. Applicants should read the official pages for the admission rules, the content of the Preparatory Year Program and the programmes that follow it, as the university is reserved for women students.
Domains taught:
Data Analytics, Finance, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
34 colleges in Riyadh and nearby cities, a university hospital and a campus metro line.
Research:
Health sciences, science, computing, business, art and design, education and languages.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5000
Current students***:
60000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Largest women’s university in the world according to its own description, 34 colleges, university hospital, large modern campus.
Cons
Women-only enrolment, Preparatory Year Program of two years, teaching mainly in Arabic and English.
Best For
Women students seeking a very large modern public university in Riyadh.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Among national alternatives, King Khalid University stands out for its focus on finance, life sciences and data analytics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers chemistry and engineering as well.
King Saud University follows much the same lines as this institution, with life sciences, data analytics and software engineering as common ground, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers agriculture and civil engineering as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For finance, life sciences and data analytics outside the home country, Indiana University Indianapolis in the United States is a natural reference; it is smaller, enrolling about 29,390 students against roughly 60,000 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Central Florida in the United States is the nearest foreign match on finance, life sciences and data analytics; it is slightly larger, at about 70,674 students against roughly 60,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Griffith University, based in Australia, is built around finance, life sciences and data analytics much like this institution, and it covers ecology and sustainability and engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 44,427 students against roughly 60,000 here.
If this institution is on your list for finance, data analytics and software engineering, Toulouse Capitole University in France deserves a comparison, because it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers statistics and mathematics as well.
Abroad, University of South Australia (Australia) covers finance, industrial design and life sciences in a comparable way, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University?
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What was its former name?
Riyadh University for Women.
When did its history begin?
In 1970, with the first women's College of Education of the Kingdom.
When did it receive its present name?
In 2008, from King Abdullah.
When did the new campus open?
On 12 June 2011.
How many colleges does it have?
34, in Riyadh and nearby cities.
What is the maximum capacity?
Up to 60,000 students.
Does the campus have a metro?
Yes, the PNU-APM, 11.5 km long with 14 stations.
How long is the Preparatory Year Program?
Two years.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Health Sciences, Healthcare, Innovation, Quality Management, Sustainability, User experience (UX), User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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