This is a list of the oldest existing universities in continuous operation in the world.
Inclusion in this list is determined by the date at which the educational institute first met the traditional definition of a university used by academic historians although it may have existed as a different kind of institution before that time. This definition limits the term "university" to institutions with distinctive structural and legal features that developed in Europe, and which make the university form different from other institutions of higher learning in the pre-modern world, even though these may sometimes now be referred to popularly as universities.
To be included in the list, the university must have been founded prior to 1500 in Europe or be the oldest university derived from the medieval European model in a country or region. It must also still be in operation, with institutional continuity retained throughout its history. So some early universities, including the University of Paris, founded around the beginning of the 13th century but abolished by the French Revolution in 1793,[1] are excluded. Some institutions reemerge, but with new foundations, such as the modern University of Paris, which came into existence in 1896 after the Louis Liard law disbanded Napoleon's University of France system.
The word "university" is derived from the Latin Latin: universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which approximately means "community of teachers and scholars." The University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy, where teaching began around 1088 and which was organised into a university in the late 12th century, is the world's oldest university in continuous operation, and the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute.[2] [3] The origin of many medieval universities can be traced back to the Catholic cathedral schools or monastic schools, which appeared as early as the 6th century and were run for hundreds of years prior to their formal establishment as universities in the high medieval period.[4]
Ancient higher-learning institutions, such as those of ancient Greece, Africa, ancient Persia, ancient Rome, Byzantium, ancient China, ancient India and the Islamic world, are not included in this list owing to their cultural, historical, structural and legal differences from the medieval European university from which the modern university evolved.[5] These include the University of al-Qarawiyyin and Al-Azhar University, which were founded as mosques in 857 and 970 respectively and developed into madrasas prior to the establishment of any European university, making them the oldest institutions of higher learning in continuous operation in the world. They became universities in 1963 and 1961 respectively.
See main article: Medieval university. The university as an institution was historically rooted in medieval society, which it in turn influenced and shaped. Academic historian Walter Rüegg asserts that:[5]
From the early modern period onwards, the university spread from the medieval Latin West across the globe, eventually replacing all other higher-learning institutions and becoming the preeminent institution for higher education everywhere. The process occurred in the following chronological order:[6]
See main article: List of medieval universities. This list includes medieval universities that were founded before 1500 and which have retained institutional continuity since then (excluding not only those that ceased to exist, but also those that merged into or split away to an institution which is regarded as newly established). Several of these have been closed for brief periods: for example the University of Siena was closed 18051815 during the Napoleonic wars, and universities in the Czech Republic and Poland were closed during Nazi occupation, 1938–1945.
Universities are dated from when, according to scholars, they first met the definition of a university. In cases such as the universities of Bologna and Oxford which trace their history back to teaching in individual schools prior to their formation into a university, or which existed in another form prior to being a university, the date in the list below is thus later than the date given by the institutions for their foundation.[7]
| Year | University | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Current | ||||
| 1180–1190[8] (teaching from c. 1088) | University of Bologna | Kingdom of Italy, |  Bologna, Italy | Law schools existed in Bologna from the second half of the 12th century, with 1088 often considered to be the date on which teaching outside of ecclesiastical schools began.[9] In 1158, petitions by Bolognese doctors of law led to Emperor Barbarossa granting the "Authentic Habita", which granted various rights to students and masters but did not name Bologna or any other particular place of study.[10] However, it is unlikely that the university had become organised by the 1150s, and this may have been as late as the 1180s.[11] The law schools appear to have remained independent, private entities until around 1180, but became organised over the following decade. In 1189 the masters made an agreement with the commune not to transfer the studium to another town, while the Lombard students were organised into a 'nation' by 1191.[12] | |
| 1200–1214[13] (teaching from c. 1096) | University of Oxford | Oxford, United Kingdom | Teaching existed in Oxford from the late 11th century,[14] with the university giving the date of 1096 for the earliest classes.[15] However, it was not until the early 13th century that the schools in Oxford took on an organised character. In 1201 a papal letter described John Grimm as magister scolarum Oxonie.[16] In 1209 the masters suspended their teaching in Oxford and moved to other towns (including Cambridge, leading to the foundation of the university there),[17] returning after a bull issued on 20 June 1214 by the papal legate, Niccolò de Romanis, that granted a number of rights to the university and established the office of chancellor.[18] Both Oxford and Cambridge were granted rights of discipline over students and of fixing rents in letters issued by King Henry III in 1231.[19] A royal charter, sometimes referred to as the Magna Carta of the university, was granted in 1244, awarding further rights to the university.[20] The university received a papal bull Querentes in agro in 1254, with a first version issued on 27 September and a second version on 6 October. The first version followed the common form of privileges granted to monastic houses, confirming the liberties and immunities granted to the university and placing the members of the university under papal protection, but the second version (which was the version recorded in the papal register) explicitly recognised and approved the existence of the university as a scholarly community and confirmed its "liberties, ancient customs and approved statutes".[21] | ||
| 1209–1225[22] | University of Cambridge | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute caused by the execution of three scholars in 1209. The university was organised under a chancellor by 1225.[23] The university takes 1209 as its official anniversary.[24] Along with Oxford, Cambridge was granted rights of discipline over its students and of fixing rents in letters issued by King Henry III in 1231. It received papal recognition as an academic corporation via an indult granted by Pope Gregory IX in 1233 and was named as a studium generale in the papal bull Inter singula in 1318. The traditional view was that this raised it to a studium generale but more recent scholarship (which is now generally, although not universally, accepted) sees the bull as confirming, rather than conferring, this status.[25] [26] | ||
| 1218–1219 | University of Salamanca | Kingdom of León |  Salamanca, Spain | The oldest university in the Hispanic world. The university was founded by Alfonso IX of León in 1218 and recognised by a papal bull from Pope Alexander IV in 1255.[27] | |
| 1222 | University of Padua | Medieval commune of Padua | Padua, Italy | Founded by scholars and professors after leaving Bologna. Awarded the first degree in the world to be conferred on a woman, Elena Cornaro Piscopia, in 1678.[28] [29] | |
| 1224 | University of Naples Federico II | Kingdom of Sicily | Naples, Italy | It is the world's oldest state-funded university in continuous operation, as one of the first to be founded by a head of state, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Sicily. Refounded in 1234, 1239 and 1465, and closed 1490–1507.[30] | |
| 1290 | University of Coimbra | Kingdom of Portugal |  Coimbra, Portugal | Originally established in Lisbon but relocated to Coimbra from 1308 to 1338 and again from 1354 to 1377, before finally moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537.[31] | |
| 1293 (Papal recognition 1346) | University of Valladolid | Crown of Castile | Valladolid, Spain | Founded in the late 13th century, probably by the city,[32] with the first documented reference dating from 1293.[33] | |
| 1308 | University of Perugia | Papal States | Perugia, Italy | The university traces its history back to 1276 and statutes were granted in 1306 prior to the bull of Pope Clement V of 8 September 1308.[34] | |
| 1348 | Charles University | Kingdom of Bohemia, |  Prague, Czech Republic | Faculties of theology, law and medicine closed during the Bohemian Reformation, leaving only the faculty of liberal arts. Became Charles-Ferdinand University after the Thirty Years' War, with all four faculties restored. Split into German and Czech parts in 1882; the Czech branch restored the name Charles University after independence in 1918 and closed briefly during Nazi occupation (1939–1945) while the German branch closed permanently in 1945.[35] | |
| 1357 (originally 1246–1252) | University of Siena | Republic of Siena | Siena, Italy | Claims to have been founded in 1240 by the Commune of Siena,[36] although Rashdall dates the proclamation of the Studium to 1246, when Frederick II tried to place a ban on scholars travelling to Bologna, the date also given by Verger. Was granted some exemptions from taxes by Pope Innocent II in 1252, but closed shortly after when the scholars returned to Bologna. Attempted revivals in 1275 and (fed by further short-lived migrations of scholars from Bologna) in 1321 and 1338 were unsuccessful. Gained an Imperial Bull in 1357 "granting it de novo the 'privileges of a Studium Generale., but was not firmly established until "[i]n 1408 a fresh grant of privileges was obtained from Pope Gregory XII".[37] Closed temporarily in 1808–1815 when Napoleonic forces occupied Tuscany. | |
| 1361 | University of Pavia | Domain of the House of Visconti | Pavia, Italy | Transferred to Piacenza 1398–1412. Closed for short periods during the Italian Wars, Napoleonic wars, and Revolutions of 1848. | |
| 1364 (re-established in 1400) | Jagiellonian University | Kingdom of Poland |  Kraków, Poland | Founded by King Casimir the Great as a studium generale in 1364. After the death of Casimir the Great in 1370, the development of the university stalled, with lectures being held in various places across the city, including churches and the Wawel cathedral school, and eventually coming to a pause. The faculty of theology was re-opened in 1397 by Queen Jadwiga who left a large endowment to the university upon her death in 1399. The university was formally re-established on 26 July 1400 by King Władysław Jagiełło. After Kraków was incorporated into the Austrian Empire, the university was merged with Lwów University from 1805 to 1809. The university was forcibly shut down during the German Occupation of Poland (1939–1945). The staff was deported to German-Nazi concentration camps, and many of its collections were deliberately destroyed by the occupying German authorities. Underground lectures continued for around 800 students during this period and the university formally reopened in 1945.[38] | |
| 1365 | University of Vienna | Duchy of Austria, |  Vienna, Austria | Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, granted papal assent in 1384 by Pope Urban VI. The oldest university in the contemporary German-speaking world; it remains a question of definition whether Charles University in Prague was also German-speaking when founded. Due to its strong association with the Catholic Church, the university suffered setbacks during the Reformation, but never ceased operation. | |
| 1385 | Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg | Electoral Palatinate, |  Heidelberg, Germany | Oldest university in Germany. Pope Urban VI granted permission for the founding of a university in October 1385 to Rupert I, Elector Palatine; teaching began in June 1386. Gradually declined during the 17th and 18th centuries until re-established as a state-owned institution by Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden in 1803. | |
| c. 1400 (originally 1343 to c. 1360) | University of Pisa | Republic of Pisa | Pisa, Italy | Established 1343 but closed around 1360; refounded at the start of the 15th century. Formally founded on 3 September 1343 by a bull of Pope Clement VI, although according to the university "a number of scholars claim its origin dates back to the 11th century". Transferred to Pistoia, Prato and Florence between 1494 and 1543.[39] | |
| 1404 | University of Turin | Turin, Italy | |||
| 1409 | University of Leipzig | Leipzig, Germany | |||
| 1410–1413[40] | University of St. Andrews | St. Andrews, United Kingdom | A school of higher studies was founded in 1410 and was chartered by Bishop Henry Wardlaw in 1411. Full university status conferred by a papal bull of Antipope Benedict XIII on 28 August 1413. The university was founded in 1410 when a group of Augustinian clergy, driven from the University of Paris by the Avignon schism and from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge by the Anglo-Scottish Wars, formed a society of higher learning in St Andrews, which offered courses of lectures in divinity, logic, philosophy, and law. St Andrews was the obvious choice — "for centuries, it was the heart of the Scottish church and political activities"[41] and "the seat of the greatest bishopric in Scotland and location of a monastery noted as a centre for learning".[42] A charter of privilege was bestowed upon the society of masters and scholars by the Bishop of St Andrews, Henry Wardlaw,[43] on 28 February 1411.[44] Wardlaw then successfully petitioned the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII to grant the school university status by issuing a series of papal bulls, which followed on 28 August 1413.[45] King James I of Scotland confirmed the charter of the university in 1432. Subsequent kings supported the university, with King James V of Scotland "confirming privileges of the university" in 1532.[46] [47] | ||
| 1419 | University of Rostock | Rostock, Germany | Continuous operation during the Reformation is disputed. Some sources state that "the Catholic university of Rostock closed altogether and the closure was long enough to make the refounded body feel a new institution"[48] and that the university fell into complete decay after the beginning of the Reformation in (1523) when the university revenues were lost and matriculations ceased".[49] However, Johann Oldendorp is reported by several sources as having held a professorship at the university from 1526 to 1534, although this is not proven beyond doubt,[50] and other historians refer to "the remaining university lecturers" as supporting plans to restore the university revenues in 1532 (which was eventually accomplished via the Rostock Formula concordiae in 1563).[51] There are records of a number of professors being appointed in 1551, including Johannes Aurifaber, David Chytraeus, and .[52] [53] | ||
| 1430 (originally 1391–1394) | University of Ferrara | House of Este | Ferrara, Italy | ||
| 1431 (originally 1303 to c. 1400) | Sapienza University of Rome | Papal States | Rome, Italy | Founded in 1303 but closed at the end of the 14th century; refounded 1431. | |
| 1444 | University of Catania | Kingdom of Sicily | Catania, Italy | ||
| 1450 | University of Barcelona | Crown of Aragon | Barcelona, Spain | Founded by Alfonso V of Aragon on 3 September 1450 as the Estudi General de Barcelona. From 1401 the city had a medical school founded by King Martin of Aragon (the Estudi General de Medecina de Barcelona), to which a faculty of arts was added in 1402. Before this, there were chairs of higher education (associated with the cathedral, the Dominican Convent of Santa Carolina, and the escoles majors supported by the city's governing council) from the 13th century.[54] | |
| 1451 | University of Glasgow | Glasgow, United Kingdom | Founded by papal bull in 1451, it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Along with the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and St Andrews, the university was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century. | ||
| 1456 | University of Greifswald | Greifswald, Germany | Some professors from Rostock taught temporarily in Greifswald between 1437 and 1443 due to unrest in Rostock. The university was founded in 1456 by Duke Wartislaw IX with the approval of Pope Callixtus III on the initiative of Heinrich Rubenow, Lord Mayor of Greifswald (and first rector). Teaching paused temporarily during the Protestant Reformation (1527–39).[55] | ||
| 1457 | Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg | Freiburg, Germany | A papal bull of 1455 authorised the Bishop of Constance to establish a university, and in 1457 a ducal charter from Albert VI, Archduke of Austria founded the university.[56] | ||
| 1459 | University of Basel |  Basel, Switzerland | |||
| 1459–1472[57] | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich | Munich, Germany | Founded in Ingolstadt in 1472; with a papal bull obtained in 1459 from Pope Pius II by Louis the Rich, transferred to Landshut in 1800 and then to Munich in 1826. | ||
| 1475 | University of Copenhagen | within the |  Copenhagen, Denmark | Founded by papal bull in 1475 and royal decree in 1478, opening in 1479.[58] | |
| 1476 | Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen | Tübingen, Germany | |||
| 1477 | Uppsala University | Kingdom of Sweden within the |  Uppsala, Sweden | Established in 1477 by the Catholic Archbishop Jakob Ulvsson. Decayed due to political unrest in the first decade of the 16th century and then the Reformation in the 1520s and 30s, remaining "only an idea without real content" until re-chartered in 1595.[59] | |
| 1495 | University of Aberdeen | Aberdeen, United Kingdom | King's College was founded by a papal bull in 1495 and then Marischal College in 1593; they merged in 1860.[60] | ||
| 1499 | Complutense University of Madrid | Crown of Castile | Madrid, Spain | A studium generale was founded by Sancho IV of Castile in 1293 in Alcalá de Henares. Very little is known of this institution over the next two centuries.[61] In 1499 a papal bull was granted by Pope Alexander VI authorising Archbishop Cisneros to establish a Colegio Mayor in Alcalá with the same powers as the universities of Salamanca and Vallodolid, from which date Verger considers it a university. The new university opened in 1509.[62] The university was moved to Madrid in 1836 by royal decree.[63] | |
| 1500 | University of Valencia | Crown of Aragon | Valencia, Spain | ||
The majority of European countries had universities by 1500. Many universities were established at institutes of learning such as schools and colleges that may have been founded significantly earlier but were not classed as universities upon their foundation; this is normally described in the notes for that institution. In some countries (particularly the US and those influenced by its culture), degree-granting higher education institutions that would normally be called universities are instead called colleges. In this case, both the oldest institution that would normally be regarded as a university and the oldest institution (if different) to actually be called a university are given. In many parts of the world, the first university to have a presence was an institution based elsewhere (often the University of London via the affiliation of a local college); where this is different from the first locally established university, both are given.
| Location | width=120px rowspan=2 | Current name | width=160px rowspan=2 | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=120px | Current | width=120px | Original | |||
 (Algiers) |  French Algeria(Algiers) | 1909 | ||||
 (Luanda) | Portuguese Angola (Luanda) | 1962 | Founded as Estudos Gerais Universitários de Angola. Was renamed Universidade de Luanda (University of Luanda) in 1968. After Angolan independence from Portugal in 1975, the institution was renamed the University of Angola (Universidade de Angola). In 1985 it was renamed Agostinho Neto University, in honour of Agostinho Neto, the first President of Angola. | |||
 (Abomey-Calavi) | Republic of Dahomey (Abomey-Calavi) | University of Abomey-Calavi | 1970 | Originally the University of Dahomey. Renamed the National University of Benin in 1975 and took its current name in 2001. | ||
 (Gaborone, Francistown, Maun) | University of Botswana | 1964 (as part of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; university 1982) | ||||
 (Ouagadougou) | Republic of Upper Volta (Ouagadougou) | University of Ouagadougou | 1974 | |||
 (Bujumbura) | Kingdom of Burundi (Bujumbura) | University of Burundi | 1964 | |||
 (Yaoundé) | Federal Republic of Cameroon (Yaoundé) | 1962 | In 1993 following a university reform the University of Yaounde was split into two (University of Yaoundé I and University of Yaoundé II) following the university branch-model pioneered by the University of Paris. | |||
 (Praia) | 2001 | As a result of the merger of the two previously existing higher education establishments (ISE and ISECMAR) | ||||
 (Bangui) | University of Bangui | 1969 | ||||
 (N'Djamena) | University of N'Djamena | 1971 | Originally the University of Chad, renamed the University of N'Djamena 1994. | |||
 (Moroni) | University of the Comoros | 2003[64] | ||||
(Kinshasa) | Belgian Congo (Kinshasa) | University of Kinshasa | 1954 | Originator established as the Lovanium University, affiliated to the Catholic University of Leuven. Merged into the National University of Zaire in 1971 then demerged under its current name in 1981. | ||
(Brazzaville) | People's Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) | Marien Ngouabi University | 1971 | Founded as the University of Brazzaville in 1971, changed to current name in 1977. | ||
 (Djibouti City) | University of Djibouti | 2006 | ||||
 (Giza) | Khedivate of Egypt (Cairo) | 1908 | The oldest university in Egypt and second oldest higher education institution (after Al-Azhar University, which was founded as a madrasa c. 970 and became a university in 1962) | |||
 (Malabo) | National University of Equatorial Guinea | 1995 | ||||
 (Mai Nefhi) | Eritrea Institute of Technology | 2003 | Founded following the closure of the University of Asmara, which had been established as a college in 1958 | |||
(Kwaluseni) |  (Kwaluseni) | University of Eswatini | 1964 (as part of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; university 1982) | Originally established as the University of Swaziland, changed to current name in 2018 | ||
 (Addis Ababa) | Ethiopian Empire (Addis Ababa) | 1950 (as college offering degree courses; university 1962) | The university was originally called the University College of Addis Ababa in 1950, offering courses leading to degrees of the University of London. It became Haile Selassie I University in 1962, named after the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. The institution received its current name in 1975. | |||
 (Libreville) | Omar Bongo University | 1970 | Founded as the National University of Gabon and took current name in 1978 | |||
 (Serekunda) | University of the Gambia | 1999 | ||||
 (Accra) | (Accra) | 1948 (as affiliate college of the University of London; university 1961)[65] | Founded as the University College of the Gold Coast, an affiliate college of the University of London which supervised its academic programmes and awarded the degrees. It gained full university status in 1961. | |||
 (Conakry) | Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry | 1962 | ||||
 (Bissau) | Universidade Colinas de Boé | 2003 | ||||
| Universidade Amílcar Cabral | 2003 | |||||
(Abidjan) | 1964 (as main campus of the University of Abidjan; university 1996) | |||||
 (Nairobi) | Colony and Protectorate of Kenya(Nairobi) | 1961 (as affiliate college of the University of London; college 1956; university 1970) | Oldest in Kenya. Established 1956 as the Royal Technical College. Renamed the Royal College of Nairobi when it became affiliated to the University of London in 1961. On 20 May 1964, was renamed University College Nairobi when it was admitted as a constituent college of inter-territorial University of East Africa. In 1970, it transformed into the first national university in Kenya and was renamed the University of Nairobi.[66] | |||
(Nairobi) | Colony and Protectorate of Kenya(Nairobi) | 1939 as a farm school; 1987 as university | Founded in 1939, and was originally named Egerton Farm School. It was established by a land grant of 740 acres (3 km2) by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton. The school's original purpose was to prepare white European youth for careers in agriculture. By 1955, the name had changed to Egerton Agricultural College. A one-year certificate course and a two-year diploma course in agriculture were offered. In 1958, Lord Egerton donated another 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of land. Soon afterward, the college opened its doors to people of all races from Kenya and other African countries in 1956. In 1979, with support from the Government of Kenya and USAID, the college expanded yet again, becoming part of the University of Nairobi system. In 1987, the college was recognized as a chartered public university.[67] | |||
 (Roma) | National University of Lesotho | 1964 (as part of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; college 1945; university 1975 | ||||
 (Monrovia) | 1951 (college 1863) | Building on Liberia College founded in 1863 | ||||
 (Benghazi & Tripoli) | Kingdom of Libya (Benghazi) | 1956 | A royal decree was issued on 15 December 1955 for the founding of the university. The first faculty to be formed was the Faculty of Literature in Benghazi, and the royal palace "Al Manar", from which King Idris I of Libya declared its independence on 24 December 1951, was assigned to be the campus. Later divided to University of Benghazi and University of Tripoli, the names were changed again during Gaddafi's era, but now they have reinstated their original names. | |||
 (Antananarivo) | Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies (Antananarivo) | 1961 (as university; institute for advanced studies 1955) | Founded December 1955 as the Institute for Advanced Studies in Antananarivo. Renamed the University of Madagascar in 1961. | |||
 (Zomba, Blantyre & Lilongwe) | 1965 | |||||
 (Bamako) | 1996 | |||||
 (Nouakchott) | 1981 | |||||
 (Moka) | British Mauritius (Moka) | 1965 | The Faculty of Agriculture is the oldest faculty of the university. It was founded in 1914 as the School of Agriculture in 1914, and in 1966 it was incorporated into the newly established University of Mauritius. | |||
 (Fez) | Idrisid Kingdom of Morocco (Fez) | 1965 (as university; madrasa 859) | Traces its origins back to the al-Qarawiyyin mosque and associated madrasa founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859, and was named a university in 1965. It is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world,[68] [69] though only became an official university in 1965. | |||
(Rabat) | 1957 | Founded as University of Rabat | ||||
 (Maputo) | Portuguese Mozambique (Lourenço Marques) | 1962 | ||||
 (Windhoek) | 1992 | |||||
 (Niamey) | 1974 | Originally the University of Niamey | ||||
 (Ibadan) | Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (Yaba, Lagos) | 1949 (as affiliated college of the University of London; college 1932; university 1962) | Founded as Yaba College in 1932 in Yaba, Lagos, as the first tertiary educational institute in Nigeria. Yaba College was transferred to Ibadan, becoming the University College of Ibadan, in 1948[70] and was a university college associated with the University of London. Independent university since 1962.[71] | |||
(Nsukka) | Federation of Nigeria (Nsukka) | 1960[72] | First university in Nigeria. | |||
 (Kigali) | (Kigali) | 1963 | Founded as the National University of Rwanda in 1963; incorporated into the University of Rwanda 2013 | |||
(São Tomé) | 2014 (as university; polytechnic school 1996) | |||||
(Tifariti) | 2013 | |||||
 (Dakar) | French Senegal (Dakar) | 1957 | ||||
 (Anse Royale) | 2009 | |||||
 (Freetown) | Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate (Freetown) | 1876 (as affiliated college of Durham University; college 1827; part of University of Sierra Leone 1967) | Oldest university-level institution in Africa. Founded as a missionary school to train teachers in 1827. Became an affiliated college of Durham University in 1876 and awarded first degrees in West Africa in 1878. Became part of the federal University of Sierra Leone in 1967.[73] [74] | |||
 (Mogadishu) | Trust Territory of Somaliland (Mogadishu) | 1954 | ||||
(Pretoria) | Cape Colony (Cape Town) | 1873 | Originally founded as the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1916 it was transformed into the federal University of South Africa (Unisa) and relocated to Pretoria. | |||
(Juba) |  Democratic Republic of the Sudan(Juba) | University of Juba | 1975 | |||
(Khartoum) | Republic of the Sudan (Khartoum) | 1956 (as university; college 1902)[75] | Renamed from Gordon Memorial College, founded 1902, when it gained full university status in 1956 | |||
(Dar es Salaam) | Tanganyika Territory (Dar es Salaam) | 1961 (as affiliated college of the University of London; part of the University of East Africa 1963; university 1970) | ||||
 (Lomé) | University of Lomé | 1970 | Originally the University of Benin, changed to current name in 2001 | |||
 (Tunis) | Umayyad Caliphate (Tunis) | 1961 (as university; madrasa c. 737) | Traces its origins back to the Al-Zaytuna madrasa founded around 737, it gained university status in 1961 | |||
 (Kampala) | British Protectorate of Uganda (Kampala) | 1922 | Started as a technical college in 1922. Then became an affiliate college of the University of London; part of the University of East Africa 1963. It would become an independent University[76] 1970. | |||
 (Lusaka) | University of Zambia | 1966 | ||||
 (Harare) | (Salisbury) | 1952 (as affiliated college of the University of London; university 1970) | Founded in 1952 as University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. University of Rhodesia from 1970 and University of Zimbabwe from 1980 | |||
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | |||
 (Kabul) | Kingdom of Afghanistan (Kabul) | 1931 | Founded in 1931, formally opened 1932. | |
 (Sakhir, Isa Town) | 1986 | |||
 (Dhaka) | (Dacca, Bengal Presidency) | 1921 | First university in Bangladesh, opened 1 July 1921.[77] | |
 (Thimphu) | 2003 | |||
(Bandar Seri Begawan) | 1985 | |||
 (Phnom Penh) | French Protectorate of Cambodia (Phnom Penh) | 1917 | ||
| Qing Empire | Tianjin University | 1895 | The first higher education institution in China. It was established in 1895 as Imperial Tientsin University (天津北洋西學學堂) and later Peiyang University (北洋大學). In 1951, after restructuring, it was renamed Tianjin University, and became one of the largest multidisciplinary engineering universities in China. | |
| Peking University | 1898 | The second higher education institution in China. The university's original name was Imperial University of Peking (京师大学堂). | ||
| 2000 | ||||
 | | 1911 (as university; college 1887) | Founded as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887, incorporated as a university in 1911 | |
 (New Delhi) | (Aligarh, United Provinces of British India) | 1920 | Moved from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1925 and to its current location in 1936.[78] | |
(New Delhi) | 1922 | First university established in Delhi, affiliating four older colleges (St Stephen's College, Hindu College, Zakir Husain Delhi College and Ramjas College) | ||
(Serampore) | Danish India (Frederiknagore) | 1827 (as university; college 1818) | Incorporated and granted university status and the right to award degrees by royal charter of Frederick VI of Denmark on 23 February 1827, endorsed by the Bengal Government Act 1918.[79] | |
(Kolkata) | (Calcutta, Bengal Presidency) | 1857 | First full-fledged multi-disciplinary university in South Asia. The University of Bombay and the University of Madras were subsequently established in the same year | |
(Mumbai) | (Bombay, Bombay Presidency) | Called the University of Bombay until 1996. | ||
(Chennai) | (Madras, Madras Presidency) | |||
(Aligarh) | (Aligarh, North-Western Provinces) | 1920 (college 1875) | Established as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875; became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. | |
(Prayagraj) | (Allahabad, United Provinces of British India) | 1887 | ||
(Varanasi) | (Banaras, United Provinces of British India) | 1916 | ||
(Chandigarh) | (Lahore, Punjab Province) | Panjab University | 1882 (Before partition)1947 (After partition) | First established by British Raj in 1882 in Lahore, Punjab (now in Pakistan). After the partition of India, the University was established in Chandigarh, Punjab (India) in 1947 under the Panjab University Act VII of 1947 enacted by the Government of India. |
 | 1920 | Founded as Technische Hogeschool. Renamed in 1959. | ||
| 1924 (as hogeschool; medical school 1851; university 1947) | Incorporates the medical school founded as the Dokter-Djawa School Batavia in 1851, which became the Geneeskundige Hogeschool in 1927 and the Rechts Hogeschool founded in 1924. | |||
| 1851 | first modern university and modern institution of higher learning in Iran | |||
| 1934 | Founded by Rezā Shāh, incorporating portions of the Dar ul-Funun Polytechnic Institute (1851) and the Tehran School of Political Sciences (1899) | |||
| 1974 (as university; institute 1919) | Named after Khwarizmi (–850), Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer. It was established in 1919 as the Central Teachers' Institute and gained university status as Tarbiat Moallem University of Tehran in 1974. It changed its name to Kharazmi University on January 31, 2012.[80] | |||
 | 1956 | The Iraqi Royal College of Medicine was established in 1928 | ||
 | (Beirut vilayet) | 1912 (opened 1924) | Founded in 1912, but formal teaching began in 1924 | |
| 1918 | ||||
 | 1877 (as a university; earliest predecessor 1630) | Previous names are University of Tokyo (1877–1886), Imperial University (1886–1897), and Tokyo Imperial University (1897–1947). Its origins include a private college of Confucian studies founded by Hayashi Razan in 1630,[81] Tenmonkata (The Observatory, 1684)[82] and Shutōsho (Smallpox Vaccination Centre, 1849).[83] The university was established in 1877 by the merger of three institutions: Shoheiko (Japanese and Chinese Literature, established 1789), Yogakusho (Occidental Studies, established 1855) and Shutosho (Vaccinations, established 1860), originally as Tokyo University before becoming the Imperial University and then Tokyo Imperial University before reverting to its original name after World War II.[84] | ||
| 1920 (as university; school for Dutch studies 1858) | Founded as a "school for Dutch studies" in 1858. College with three university departments (literature, law and economics) established 1890. Accredited as a university by the Japanese government in 1920.[85] | |||
| 1922 (as "Daikyoko (Great School)" 1876; school 1639) | Traces its origins to a school for Buddhist monks of the Nishi Hongan-ji denomination founded in 1639. Assumed its current name and became a university under the University Ordinance in 1922.[86] | |||
 | 1962 | |||
 | (Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic) | 1933 | ||
 | 1966 | |||
 | 1951 (as university; institute of education 1925) | |||
| 1996 | ||||
 | (Syria vilayet) | 1920 (as degree-awarding college 1866) | Originally Syrian Protestant College, chartered by the State of New York, took current name in 1920 | |
| 1872 | ||||
 | (Punjab) | 1882 | Established by British colonial authorities in 1882 as the first university in what would become Pakistan and the first teaching university in the sub-continent.[87] | |
| King Edward Medical University, Lahore | 1860 | Established as Lahore Medical College, 1860. Became an independent university in 2005. | ||
| 2002 (as a University)1864 (as college) | Established as Government College, Lahore, 1864. Became an independent university in 2002.[88] | |||
| 1981 | Established as University of East Asia in 1981, renamed 1991 | |||
 | British Malaya | 1905 | Established as Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School on 13 July 1905 in Singapore | |
 | 1998 (as degree awarding college; university 2011) | Established in 1998 as the Maldives College of Higher Education, establishing its first degree course in 2000. Became the Maldives National University in 2011.[89] | ||
 | 1942 | |||
 | 1878[90] | |||
 | 1959[91] | |||
| 1946 | ||||
 | 1986[92] | |||
| Israeli Military Governorate | Bethlehem University | 1973[93] | ||
 | 1645 (college 1611) | Founded on 28 April 1611 by the Order of Preachers and raised to university status by Pope Innocent X in 1645. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines recognizes it as the oldest university in the country as well as in Asia.[94] | ||
 | 1977[95] | |||
 | 1957 | |||
 | 1905 | Founded as Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School | ||
| 1895 (as university; royal institution 1398) | Sungkyunkwan was established in 1398 as the highest educational institution of the Joseon Dynasty. In 1895, Sungkyunkwan was reformed into a modern three-year university after the national state examination was abolished the previous year. It was again reorganized as Sungkyunkwan University in 1946 at the end of the Japanese occupation of Korea. | |||
| Ewha Womans University | 1946 (as university; school 1886) | Established in 1886 as the Ewha Haktang mission school for girls, started higher education in 1910, and was reorganized as Ewha Womans University in 1946. | ||
 | 1942 | Formed in 1942 as the University of Ceylon by the amalgamation of University College Colombo (established 1921) and Ceylon Medical College (established in 1870). Was part of the University of Sri Lanka 1972–1978.[96] | ||
| 1923 | Founded in 1923 through the merger of the School of Medicine (established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913) | |||
 | Japanese Taiwan | 1928 | Founded as Taihoku (Taipei) Imperial University | |
 | 1947 | |||
 (Ashgabat) | 1950 (as university; pedagogical institute 1931) | |||
 | 1917 (as university; college 1899) | |||
| 1976 | ||||
| 1902 | ||||
| 1904 | Originally the University of Indochina, first full subject university in Vietnam. | |||
 | 1970 | |||
While Europe had 143 universities in 1789, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars took a heavy toll, reducing the number to 83 by 1815. The universities of France were abolished[1] and over half of the universities in both Germany and Spain were destroyed. By the mid 19th century, Europe had recovered to 98 universities.[97]
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | ||||
 (Tirana) | People's Socialist Republic of Albania (Tirana) | 1957 | Originally established in 1957 as the State University of Tirana through merging of five existing institutes of higher education, the most important of which was the Institute of Sciences, founded in 1947. | ||
(Shkodër) | People's Socialist Republic of Albania (Shkodër) | 1957 | |||
 (Yerevan) | First Republic of Armenia (Alexandropol) | 1919 | |||
(Graz) | Archduchy of Austria, (Graz) | 1585 (continuous from 1827) | Founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II of Austria. Closed 1782–1827. | ||
(Innsbruck) | Archduchy of Austria, (Innsbruck) | 1669 (continuous from 1826) | Originally established as a Jesuit school in 1562 before becoming a university in 1669. Closed as a university from 1782 to 1826. | ||
 (Baku) | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (Baku) | 1919 | In 1930, the government ordered the university shut down in accordance with a reorganization of higher education, and the university was replaced with the Supreme Pedagogical Institute. In 1934 the university was reestablished. | ||
 (Flemish Region) (Ghent) |  United Kingdom of the Netherlands(Ghent) | 1817 | Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands | ||
(Wallonia) (Liège) | United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Liège) | University of Liège | 1817 | Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands | |
(Flemish Region and Wallonia) (Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve) | Belgium (Mechelen) | KU Leuven and UCLouvain | 1834 | Founded as the Catholic University of Belgium in Mechlin on 8 November 1834 by the bishops of Belgium. Moved to Leuven on 1 December 1835, after the suppression of the State University of Leuven, where it took the name Catholic University of Louvain. In 1968, it split to form two institutions: Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven and French-speaking Université catholique de Louvain. | |
(Brussels – Capital Region) | Belgium (Brussels) | 1834 | Founded as the Free University of Belgium in the Palace of Charles of Lorraine on 20 November 1834 by Pierre-Théodore Verhaegen. In 1842, it changed its name to Free University of Brussels. On 1 October 1969, it split to form two institutions: French-speaking Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel. | ||
 (Sarajevo) | (Sarajevo) | 1949 | |||
 (Sofia) | Principality of Bulgaria (Sofia) | 1904 ("higher pedagogical course" from 1888)[98] | |||
 (Zagreb) | (Zagreb) | 1669 | History of the university began on 23 September 1669, when the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I issued a decree granting the establishment of the Jesuit Academy of the Royal Free City of Zagreb. Decree was accepted at the Council of the Croatian Kingdom on 3 November 1671. | ||
(Olomouc) | Bohemian crown lands, (Olomouc) | 1573 | Originally known as Olomouc Jesuit University. | ||
(Copenhagen) | Denmark | 1829 | Was founded in 1829 as the College of Advanced Technology | ||
 (Tartu) | Kingdom of Sweden (Dorpat) | 1632 (continuous operation since 1802) | Founded as Academia Gustaviana in the then Swedish province of Livonia. It was closed by the Russian Government from 1710 to 1802. | ||
 (Helsinki) | Kingdom of Sweden (Åbo) | 1640 | Founded as the Royal Academy of Turku (Swedish: Kungliga Akademin i Åbo). It was shut down by the Great Fire of Turku in 1827. The University of Helsinki was founded the next year, in 1828, and it started operating in 1829. The University of Helsinki sees itself as continuation of the Royal Academy of Turku. | ||
(Paris) | (Paris) | Sorbonne University | 1150–1250 (continuous operation since 1896) | Emerged around 1150 as a corporation associated with the cathedral school of Notre Dame de Paris, it was considered the second-oldest university in Europe. Officially chartered in 1200 by Philip II of France and recognised in 1215 by Pope Innocent III, it was often nicknamed after its theology collegiate institution, College of Sorbonne, founded about 1257 by Robert de Sorbon and charted by Louis IX of France. It was abolished in 1793 by the French Revolution, and was replaced by Napoleon on 1 May 1806 by the University of France system. In 1896 the Louis Liard law allowed the founding of a new University of Paris. In 1970, it split into 13 separate universities and numerous specialised institutions of higher education. In 2018, Sorbonne University was formed from the Paris-Sorbonne University (created from the faculty of humanities of the University of Paris) and Pierre and Marie Curie University (created from the faculty of science and medicine of the University of Paris).[99] [100] | |
(Occitanie) | County of Toulouse (Toulouse) | continuous operation since 1896 | Founded by papal bull in 1229 as the University of Toulouse. It closed in 1793 due to the French Revolution, and reopened in 1896. In 1969, it split into three separate universities and numerous specialised institutions of higher education. It no longer represents a single university, as it is now the collective entity which federates the universities and specialised institutions of higher education in the region. | ||
(Montpellier) | Kingdom of Majorca (Montpellier) | continuous operation since 1896 | The world's oldest medicine faculty was established before 1137 and operated continuously until the French Revolution. University by papal bull in 1289. It closed in 1793 due to the French Revolution, and reopened in 1896. The university of Montpellier was officially re-organised in 1969 after a students' revolt. It was split into its successor institutions the University of Montpellier 1 (comprising the former faculties of medicine, law, and economy), Montpellier 2 (science and technology) and Montpellier 3 (social sciences, humanities and liberal arts). On 1 January 2015, the University of Montpellier 1 and the University of Montpellier 2 merged to form the newly recreated University of Montpellier.[101] [102] Meanwhile, the Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 remains a separate institution. | ||
(Aix-en-Provence, Marseille) | County of Provence, (Aix) | continuous operation since 1896 | Founded in 1409 as the University of Provence, and in 1792, dissolved, along with twenty-one other universities. In 1896 it was reformed as the University of Aix-Marseille, one of 17 self-governing regional universities financed by the state. In 1968 it was divided into two institutions, the University of Provence (Aix-Marseille I) as a school of languages and letters, and the University of Aix-Marseille (Aix-Marseille II) as primarily a school of medicine and sciences. In 1973 the University of Law, Economics and Science (Aix-Marseille III) was added. In 2012 the three universities merged and was renamed Aix-Marseille University. | ||
(Lille) | County of Flanders, Spanish Netherlands (Douai) | 1559 | Founded by Philip II of Spain in 1559 as the University of Douai. It closed in 1795 due to the French Revolution, and reopened in 1808. In 1887, it was transferred as University of Lille 27 km away from Douai. In 1971, it split into three separate universities. At the beginning of 2018, the three universities merged to form again the University of Lille. | ||
(Wittenberg Halle) | (Wittenberg) | 1502 | Established in 1502 as the University of Wittenberg. Merged with University of Halle (founded 1691) in 1817. | ||
(Frankfurt/Oder) | (Frankfurt/Oder) | 1506 (continuous operation from 1991) | Established in 1506 as the Alma Mater Viadrina. Relocated and merged with the Leopoldina in Breslau (present-day Wrocław, Poland) in 1811. Reestablished in Frankfurt (Oder) in 1991 after German reunification. | ||
 (Tbilisi) | (Tbilisi) | 1918 | Founded in 1918 as Tbilisi State University | ||
 | 2015[103] | ||||
 (Athens) | (Athens) | 1837[104] | |||
 (Budapest) | (Nagyszombat) | 1635 | Founded in 1635 by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány as the University of Nagyszombat. Renamed Royal Hungarian University of Science in 1769. The university was moved to Buda (today part of Budapest) in 1777. The university moved to its final location in Pest (now also part of Budapest) in 1784 and was renamed Royal University of Pest. It has been renamed three times since then: University of Budapest (1873–1921), (Hungarian Royal Pázmány Péter University (1921–1950), and since 1950, Eötvös Loránd University. | ||
 (Reykjavík) | (Reykjavík) | 1911 | |||
 (Dublin) | (Dublin) | 1592 | Founded by Queen Elizabeth I and modelled after the collegiate universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Only one college was ever established, Trinity College Dublin, making the two designations effectively synonymous. | ||
(Urbino) | Kingdom of Italy, (Urbino) | 1506 | |||
(Pristina) | (Pristina) | 1969 | |||
 (Riga) | (Riga) | 1862 | First established as Riga Polytechnicum in 1862 | ||
 (Vaduz) | 1961 | Successor to the Abendtechnikum Vaduz in 1992 | |||
 (Vilnius) | , (Vilnius) | 1579 (continuous operation since 1919) | Founded as the Jesuit Academy of Vilnius; the university was closed in 1832–1919 and again in 1943–44 | ||
 (Esch-sur-Alzette) | 2003 | ||||
 (Msida) | Hospitaller Malta (Valletta) | 1769 | First established as the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits in 1592 | ||
(Leiden) | (Leiden) | 1575 | Although formally still part of the Habsburg Netherlands, Leiden sided with the Dutch Revolt in 1572 | ||
(Groningen) | (Groningen) | 1614 | Together with Leiden University, it was one of the only two Dutch universities to retain their status during the Napoleonic occupation of the Netherlands. | ||
(Utrecht) | (Utrecht) | 1636 | The Utrecht University was abolished during the Napoleonic era, reorganized as a French Imperial School for Higher Education. Only after the defeat of Napoleon and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815 was it to be reconstituted as a university. | ||
(Skopje) | (Skopje) | 1946 | |||
 (Oslo) | (Christiania) | 1811 | Founded as The Royal Frederik's University | ||
(Wrocław) | Bohemian crown lands, (Breslau) | 1702 | Founded in 1702 by Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor as the university Leopoldina. It has been renamed five times since then: Universitas Literarum Vratislaviensis in 1742 by King Frederick II of Prussia, Silesian Friedrich Wilhelm University in Breslau in 1811, University of Breslau in the second half of the 19th century, Bolesław Bierut university between 1952 and 1989, and since 1989, University of Wrocław. | ||
(Warsaw) | Kingdom of Poland, | 1816 | Founded as a Royal University on 19 November 1816, when the Partitions of Poland separated Warsaw from the older University of Kraków (founded in 1364). | ||
(Porto) | (Porto) | University of Porto | 1836 (university 1911) | First established as Polytechnic University of Porto and Medical-Surgical School of Porto since 1836 | |
(Lisbon) | (Lisbon) | University of Lisbon | 1911 | Successor to the Lisbon General Study, 1290 | |
 (Iași) | United Principalities (Iași) | 1860[105] [106] | Successor to the Princely Academy from Iaşi, 1642, and Academia Mihăileană, 1835[107] | ||
(Bucharest) | United Principalities (Bucharest) | 1864[108] | Successor to the Saint Sava College, 1694 | ||
(Cluj-Napoca) | (Kolozsvár) | 1518 (continuous operation since 1919)[109] [110] | Academic successor of Academia / Universitas Claudiopolitana (1581), continued by Franz Joseph University (1872), King Ferdinand I University (1919), and Babeș-Bolyai University in its current form (1959). | ||
(Saint Petersburg) | (Saint Petersburg) | 1724 (continuous from 1819) | Claims to be the successor of the university established along with the Academic Gymnasium and the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences on 24 January 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great. In the period between 1804 and 1819, Saint Petersburg University officially did not exist | ||
(Moscow) | (Moscow) | 1755 | Founded in 1755 as Imperial Moscow University | ||
 (Belgrade) | Revolutionary Serbia (Belgrade) | 1808 | Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university, under current name from 1905; Orthodox Christian Lyceum in 1794; Teacher's college in 1778. | ||
(Brno) | (Brno) | 1919 | |||
 (Bratislava) | (Bratislava) | ||||
 (Ljubljana) | (Ljubljana) | ||||
(Seville) | (Seville) | 1505 | |||
| Kingdom of Sweden (Lund) | 1666 | A Franciscan Studium Generale was founded in Lund in 1425, as the first university in Northern Europe, but as a result of the Protestant Reformation the operations of the catholic university were suspended. | |||
(Lausanne) | (Lausanne) | 1537 | |||
| Switzerland (Zürich) | 1833 (incorporating colleges dating to 1525) | University established in 1833, taking in the Carolinum theology college, dating to 1525, and colleges of law and medicine. | |||
 Turkey(Istanbul) | (Constantinople) | 1773 (university 1928) | Founded in 1773 as Imperial School of Naval Engineering by the Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III, but became a state university in 1928.[111] | ||
| 1453 (university 1933) | Its ultimate origins lie in a madrasa and institute of higher education founded by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453; was reformed to a Western style of education with multiple faculties of sciences in 1846; gained university status in 1933. | ||||
 (Kharkiv) | (Kharkiv) | 1804 | |||
(Lviv) | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Lwów) | 1661 (continuous from 1850) | Operated from 1661 to 1773, 1784–1805, 1817–1848, and since 1850. | ||
(Edinburgh) | (Edinburgh) | 1582–3[112] | Formally established as the Tounis College (Town's College) under the authority of a royal charter granted to the Town of Edinburgh by King James VI of Scotland on 14 April 1582.[113] [114] It opened its doors to students in October 1583.[115] | ||
(Durham) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | 1832[116] | Claims to be the third oldest university in England.[117] [118] Listed by Rüegg in A History of the University in Europe as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1832. Established under the authority of the University of Durham Act 1832.[119] Recognised as a university in the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and the Established Church Act 1836.[120] [121] Incorporated and confirmed by Royal Charter in 1837 and degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837.[122] [123] | ||
(London) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | 1836 | Claims to be the third oldest university in England on the basis of the date of its charter.[124] Listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1836. Established by Royal Charter as degree awarding examining body for King's College London and University College London (see below), the London medical schools, and other institutions.[125] Degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837. | ||
(Northern Ireland) (Belfast) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Ireland) (Belfast) | 1845 (as college offering degree courses; university 1908) | Oldest university in Northern Ireland. Listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1845. Founded 1845, as a university college offering courses leading to degrees of the Queen's University of Ireland then the Royal University of Ireland, gained university status in 1908.[133] | ||
(Cardiff) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff) | 1893[134] | Founded by Royal Charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first and oldest university in Wales. Listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1893 | ||
(Carmarthen, Lampeter, Swansea) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Carmarthen, Lampeter) | 1852 (limited degree awarding powers; as college 1822) | The university was founded as St David's College (Coleg Dewi Sant) in 1822 "to provide a liberal education to members of the clergy" and was incorporated by royal charter in 1828.[135] It was renamed St David's University College (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant) in 1971, when it became part of the federal University of Wales. It was again renamed University of Wales, Lampeter in 1996 in line with moves elsewhere in the University of Wales. In 2010 it merged with Trinity University College to form the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.[136] Although described as the oldest university in Wales,[137] [138] it was not listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for a university[139] and lost a court case in 1951 against the Ministry of Education in which it sought to receive recognition as a university.[140] | ||
(Aberystwyth) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Aberystwyth) | 1872 (as college offering degree courses; university 2007) | Founded in 1872 as University College Wales, offering courses leading to degrees of the University of London, it became a founder member of the University of Wales in 1894.[141] It claims to be "Wales's oldest university",[142] but was listed by Rüegg as a college of the University of Wales rather than as a university. It became an independent university (as Aberystwyth University) in 2007.[143] | ||
See main article: List of colonial universities in Latin America.
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | |||
 Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Cayman Islands Dominica Grenada Jamaica Montserrat Trinidad and Tobago | Jamaica (Kingston) | 1948 (as affiliated college of the University of London; university 1962) | First campus opened in Jamaica as the University College of the West Indies associated with the University of London in 1948. Gained independent university status in 1962. | |
| (Peru)(Río de la Plata) (Córdoba) | 1613 | It is the third-oldest university in the Americas and oldest university in Argentina. | ||
| 2000 | ||||
| (Peru)(Charcas)
| 1624 | Founded in 1624 by order of King Philip IV, and with the support of Pope Innocent XII. Full name is The Royal and Pontificial Major University of Saint Francis Xavier of Chuquisaca | ||
 Brazil | 1920 (precursors trace back to 1792) | Created in 1920 as University of Rio de Janeiro.[144] Has as precursors the Polytechnic School (founded as Royal Academy of Artillery, Fortification and Design in 1792),[145] the National College of Medicine (founded as Academy of Medicine and Surgery in 1808)[146] and by the National College of Law (founded in 1891).[147] [148] | ||
| 1912 (closed in 1920, refounded in 1951) | Closed as university in 1920. Refounded as university in 1951. | |||
| 1909 (closed in 1926, refounded in 1962, precursors trace back to 1909) | Has as precursor the Free University School of Manaós, founded on 17 January 1909. Became the University of Manaós in 1910. Closed 1926, reformed 1962 as the University of Amazonas.[149] | |||
 Chile | 1842 | Successor to the Real Universidad de San Felipe, created in 1738. Oldest university in Chile. | ||
| (Peru)(New Granada)
| 1580 | Founded in 1580 by the Dominican Order. It is the second-oldest university in the Americas. | ||
 Colombia | (Peru)(New Granada)
| Pontifical Xavierian University | 1623 | Founded in 1623 by the Jesuit Order. First Jesuit university in Colombia. Temporarily closed between 1797 and 1930. |
 Costa Rica | 1940 | The first institution dedicated to higher education in Costa Rica was the University of Saint Thomas (Universidad de Santo Tomás), which was established in 1843. That institution maintained close ties with the Catholic Church and was closed in 1888 by the progressive and anti-clerical government of President Bernardo Soto Alfaro as part of a campaign to modernize public education. The schools of law, agronomy, fine arts, and pharmacy continued to operate independently. In 1940, those four schools were re-united to establish the modern UCR, during the reformist administration of President Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia. | ||
| (New Spain)(Cuba) (Havana) | 1728 | |||
| Dominica | 1978 | |||
 Dominican Republic | 1914 | Successor to the Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino (founded by papal bull in 1538, royal charter in 1558) which closed in 1823. | ||
| Republic of Colombia(Gran Colombia) (Quito) | 1826 | |||
| 1841 | Founded on 16 February 1841 by President Juan Lindo. | |||
| Grenada | 1976 | |||
| (New Spain)(Guatemala)
| 1676 (as colegio in 1562) | The San Carlos University was the fourth university founded in the Americas, when Guatemala was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It had five major transformations but never ceased teaching. It grew out of the Colegio de Santo Tomas de Aquino (a high school), founded in 1562 by Bishop Francisco Marroquín. The university's founder was King Charles II of Spain and it was consecrated by Pope Innocent XI in 1687. Activities were interrupted after the Act of Independence of Central America in 1821. | ||
| 1963 | ||||
| 1820 | ||||
| 1921 | ||||
 Honduras | 1847 | |||
 Mexico | 1910 | Traces its origins back to Real y Pontificia Universidad de México (1551–1865) but no institutional continuity. | ||
| 1917 (as university; college 1540) | Founded in 1540 as Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo (St. Nicholas Bishop College) and later in 1543 was appointed Real Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo (Royal St. Nicholas Bishop College) by King Carlos I of Spain; it was converted into a university on 15 October 1917.[150] | |||
 Panama | 1935 | |||
 Paraguay | 1889 | |||
| (Peru)(Peru) (Lima) | 1551 | Also known as the "Dean university of the Americas"; It is the first officially established (privilege by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) and the longest continuously operating university in the Americas. | ||
 Peru | 1828 | |||
 Puerto Rico | 1903 | Original campus of the University of Puerto Rico | ||
| 1968 | ||||
 Uruguay | 1849 | |||
| 1967 (degree awarding; college 1962; university 1986) | Established by act of legislature in 1962. Opened in 1963 as the College of the Virgin Islands, offering only associate degrees. First bachelor's degree programmes 1967. Became the University of the Virgin Islands in 1986.[151] | |||
| (Peru)(Venezuela) (Caracas) | 1721 | |||
See also: Colonial colleges and First university in the United States. In the United States, the colonial colleges awarded degrees from their foundation, but none were formally named as universities prior to the American Revolution, leading to various claims to be the first university in the United States. The earliest Canadian institutions were founded as colleges, without degree awarding powers, and gained degree granting authority and university status later.
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | ||||
 Bermuda | 2009 (Bermudian membership) | First campus opened in Jamaica as the University College of the West Indies associated with the University of London in 1948. Gained independent university status in 1962. Bermuda joined the university in 2009.[152] Bermuda has also had a community college, Bermuda College, since 1974. | |||
 (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | Nova Scotia (Windsor) | 1802 (as university; collegiate school 1789) | Traces its roots back to the King's College in New York City, which was first founded in 1754. Following the American Revolution, Loyalists at the college fled to Windsor, Nova Scotia, and established as the King's Collegiate School in 1789. It received a royal charter in 1802 establishing it (after the model of Trinity College Dublin) as "The Mother of a University", making it the oldest chartered university in Canada.[153] [154] [155] A fire destroyed the original university in 1920, and the institution relocated to Halifax. | ||
 (Nuuk) | Greenland (Nuuk) | 1989 (as university; college 1983) | Established 1983, took name University of Greenland 1987, formal university status by legislation since 1 September 1989.[156] | ||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Institut Frecker | 1975 (part of Memorial University of Newfoundland)[157] | |||
 (Cambridge, Massachusetts) | Massachusetts (Cambridge) | 1636 | Founded in 1636, named Harvard College in 1639, chartered in 1650. Oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Officially recognised as a university by the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780.[158] [159] | ||
(Williamsburg, Virginia) | Virginia (Middle Plantation) | 1693 (continuously since 1888) | Chartered in 1693. Claims to be the "first college to become a university" in the US, in 1779.[160] Named as a studium generale in its royal charter, leading to the additional claim that it was "a university by grant, a studium generale ex privilegio as the medieval jurists would have said it, since 1693".[161] Briefly closed during two different periods: from 1861 to 1869 due to the Civil War and postwar financial problems, and 1882 to 1888 due to continued financial difficulties. | ||
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Colony) | 1755 | Traces its roots to a charity school founded in 1740. Collegiate charter 1755. Claims to be "the first American institution of higher education to be named a university" (in 1779).[162] | ||
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | ||||
 | 1850 | Oldest in New South Wales, Australia and Oceania. | |||
| 1853 | Oldest in Victoria. | |||
| 1874 | Oldest in South Australia. | |||
| 1889 | UniSA was formed in 1991 by the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology with three South Australian College of Advanced Education campuses. | ||||
| 1890 | Oldest in Tasmania. | |||
| 1909 | Oldest in Queensland. | |||
| 1911 | Oldest in Western Australia. | |||
| 1946 | Oldest in Australian Capital Territory. | |||
| 1989 | Founded as University of the Northern Territory in 1989, merged with other institutions to form Charles Darwin University in 2003.[163] | |||
            | Colony of Fiji | 1968 | Regional university, operating in (and owned by the governments of) 12 Pacific island nations. Main campus in Fiji. | ||
 | 1965 (degree granting; college 1952; university 1968) | ||||
 | | 1965 | First university in Papua New Guinea. | ||
 | New Zealand (Dunedin) | 1869 | Oldest in New Zealand. | ||
(Auckland) | 1883 | Oldest in the North Island. | |||