Nancy-Université was a French federal university which federated the three principal institutes of higher education in Nancy, Lorraine before their merger into the University of Lorraine:
With over 50,000 students, Nancy had the fifth largest student population in France.
Nancy-Université has several academic libraries. The academic library of Nancy 2 University, opened by French president Albert Lebrun, contains around 500 000 documents, among which at least 250 000 are books, in 35 locations.
The original University of Lorraine was founded in 1572 in the nearby city of Pont-à-Mousson by Charles III, duke of Lorraine, and Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, and was then run by the Jesuits. The University was transferred to Nancy in 1768. The University of Nancy was closed by the revolutionaries in 1793, and reopened in 1864.