Sabahattin Zaim University was established by the Foundation for the Propagation of Knowledge (known as the Zaim Foundation) and is a foundation university affiliated with the Turkish Higher Education Institution pursuant to Government Decree No. 2547. The university boasts a large and comprehensive library of books and encyclopedias in various fields, open 24 hours a day and available in 15 different languages. The university also houses a large group of research centers, including the Food and Agricultural Research Center, the Istanbul Research Center, and the Center for Islamic Studies and Global Affairs (CIGA).

The university also features a Turkish language center (IZUTEM), a Halal Food Research Center, and a Research and Development Center for Gifted Education. The university has modern laboratories for chemistry, physics, biology, and microbiology, as well as a food research and development laboratory for the Department of Food Engineering. The university also includes computer laboratories in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and nursing laboratories that provide practical training in professional nursing skills.

The university offers a safe environment in its dormitories and provides all services to ensure that students' needs are met and that they are provided with comfortable housing. The university also houses a large mosque rich in ancient Ottoman heritage.