Ethiraj College for Women is situated in the heart of the city of Chennai in 9 acres of campus area, the college stands self contained with prestigious structures measuring to a total plinth area of 3,48,751Sq.ft. It is this infrastructural facility and the vision which is kept up by the successive managements, principals, faculty and students which has gained for the college the five star status from NAAC and the college with Potential for Excellence award from UGC. Thousands of students have passed out of the portals of the college, carrying with them the aura and dignity of the institution itself. The students are today occupying enviable positions all over the world from diplomatic circles to law and order to teaching and caring for the under privileged. They have also won national awards for their contribution to the nation's cultural and educational legacy. In strengthening the core competencies, the college has been making steady progress. The college has a dedicated team of 283 faculty members who maintain academic excellence and about 6500 students who are the anchor to sustain the vision of the institution. The college has high standards of academic excellence and the zeal for constant updating and renewal.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change. - Charles Darwin

College Founded in 1948, the formative years witnessed a strong foundation through introduction of undergraduate courses in Economics, Botany, Chemistry, History, Zoology and English Literature along with the infrastructural facilities, resulting in the construction of the Science Block, Hostel, Open Air Theatre and the Old Library Block. The landmark development of this decade was the auditorium, which to this day remains the pride of the college. The decade of 1968 – 1978 saw the growth of the college with the introduction of Commerce, Mathematics and Physics at the UG level and a number of PG courses and the construction of PG block..