Wikipedia
List of oldest universities in continuous operation
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[Note 1][specify] although it may have existed as a different kind of institution before that time.[4] 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 below, the university must have been founded before 1500 in Europe or be the oldest university derived from the medieval European model in a country or region. It must also be still 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[5] but abolished by the French Revolution in 1793,[6] 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 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 twelfth century, is the world's oldest university in continuous operation,[1] and the first university in the sense of a higher-learning and degree-awarding institute.[7][8][1] The origin of many medieval universities can be traced back to the Catholic cathedral schools or monastic schools, which appeared as early as the sixth century and were run for hundreds of years as such before their formal establishment as universities in the high medieval period.[9]
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.[Note 2][Note 3][12] 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.
Medieval origins edit
The university as an institution was historically rooted in medieval society, which it in turn influenced and shaped. Academic historian Walter Rüegg asserts that:[12]
The university is a European institution; indeed, it is the European institution par excellence. There are various reasons for this assertion. As a community of teachers and taught, accorded certain rights, such as administrative autonomy and the determination and realisation of curricula (courses of study) and of the objectives of research as well as the award of publicly recognised degrees, it is a creation of medieval Europe, which was the Europe of papal Christianity [...].
Modern spread edit
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:[13]
- Southern and Western Europe (from the 11th or 12th century)
- Central and Northern Europe (from the 14th or 15th century)
- Americas (from the 16th century)
- Australia (from the 19th century)
- Asia and Africa (from the 19th or 20th century), with the exception of the Philippines, where the University of Santo Tomas was established in the 17th century.
Founded as universities before 1500 edit
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 1805–1815 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.[14]
| Year | University | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Current | |||
| 1180–1190[15] (teaching from c. 1088) | University of Bologna | Kingdom of Italy, Holy Roman Empire | 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.[16] 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.[17] However, it is unlikely that the university had become organised by the 1150s, and this may have been as late as the 1180s.[18] 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.[16][19] |
| 1200–1214[20] (teaching from c. 1096) | University of Oxford | Kingdom of England | Oxford, United Kingdom | Teaching existed in Oxford from the late 11th century,[21] with the university giving the date of 1096 for the earliest classes.[22] 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.[23] In 1209 the masters suspended their teaching in Oxford and moved to other towns (including Cambridge, leading to the foundation of the university there),[24] 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.[25] Both Oxford and Cambridge were granted rights of discipline over students and of fixing rents in letters issued by King Henry III in 1231.[26] A royal charter, sometimes referred to as the Magna Carta of the university, was granted in 1244, awarding further rights to the university.[27] 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".[28] |
| 1209–1225[5] | University of Cambridge | Kingdom of England | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute caused by the execution of three scholars in 1209.[24] The university was organised under a chancellor by 1225.[29] The university takes 1209 as its official anniversary.[30] 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.[26] 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.[31][32] |
| 1218–1219[5] | 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.[33] |
| 1222[5] | 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.[34][35] |
| 1224[5] | University of Naples Federico II | Kingdom of Sicily | Naples, Italy | It is the world's oldest state-funded university in continuous operation,[2][3] 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.[36] |
| 1290[5] | 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,[5] before finally moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537.[37] |
| 1293 (Papal recognition 1346)[5] | University of Valladolid | Crown of Castile | Valladolid, Spain | Founded in the late 13th century,[5] probably by the city,[38] with the first documented reference dating from 1293.[39] |
| 1308[5] | 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.[40] |
| 1347[5] | Charles University | Kingdom of Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire | 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.[41] |
| 1357[5] (originally 1246–1252)[5] | University of Siena | Republic of Siena | Siena, Italy | Claims to have been founded in 1240 by the Commune of Siena,[42] 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.[5] 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".[43] Closed temporarily in 1808–1815 when Napoleonic forces occupied Tuscany.[42] |
| 1361[5] | University of Pavia | Domain of the House of Visconti | Pavia, Italy | Transferred to Piacenza 1398–1412.[5] Closed for short periods during the Italian Wars, Napoleonic wars, and Revolutions of 1848. |
| 1364[5] (re-established in 1400)[5] | 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.[44] |
| 1365[5] | University of Vienna | Holy Roman Empire | 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[5] | Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg | 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[5] (originally 1343 to c. 1360)[5] | University of Pisa | Republic of Pisa | Pisa, Italy | Established 1343 but closed around 1360; refounded at the start of the 15th century.[5] 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.[45] |
| 1404[5] | University of Turin | Duchy of Savoy | Turin, Italy | |
| 1409[5] | University of Leipzig | Holy Roman Empire | Leipzig, Germany | |
| 1410[5]–1413[46] | University of St. Andrews | Kingdom of Scotland | 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.[46] 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"[47] and "the seat of the greatest bishopric in Scotland and location of a monastery noted as a centre for learning".[48] A charter of privilege was bestowed upon the society of masters and scholars by the Bishop of St Andrews, Henry Wardlaw,[49] on 28 February 1411.[50] 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.[51] 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.[52][53] |
| 1419[5] | University of Rostock | Holy Roman Empire | 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"[54] 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".[55] 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,[56] 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).[57] There are records of a number of professors being appointed in 1551, including Johannes Aurifaber, David Chytraeus, and Johann Draconites.[58][59] |
| 1430[5] (originally 1391–1394)[5] | University of Ferrara | House of Este | Ferrara, Italy | |
| 1431[5] (originally 1303 to c. 1400)[5] | Sapienza University of Rome | Papal States | Rome, Italy | Founded in 1303 but closed at the end of the 14th century; refounded 1431.[5] |
| 1444[5] | University of Catania | Kingdom of Sicily | Catania, Italy | |
| 1450[5] | 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.[60] |
| 1451[5] | University of Glasgow | Kingdom of Scotland | 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[5] | University of Greifswald | Holy Roman Empire | 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).[61] |
| 1457[5] | 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.[62] | |
| 1459[5] | University of Basel | Basel, Switzerland | ||
| 1459[5]–1472[63] | 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.[63] | |
| 1475[5] | University of Copenhagen | Kingdom of Denmark within the Kalmar Union | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 1476[5] | Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen | Holy Roman Empire | Tübingen, Germany | |
| 1477[5] | Uppsala University | Kingdom of Sweden within the Kalmar Union | 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.[64] |
| 1495[5] | University of Aberdeen | Kingdom of Scotland | Aberdeen, United Kingdom | King's College was founded by a papal bull in 1495 and then Marischal College in 1593; they merged in 1860.[65] |
| 1499[5] | 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.[66] 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.[5] The new university opened in 1509.[67] The university was moved to Madrid in 1836 by royal decree.[68] |
| 1500[5] | University of Valencia | Crown of Aragon | Valencia, Spain | |
Oldest universities by country or region after 1500 still in operation edit
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.
Africa edit
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | |||
| Algeria (Algiers) | French Algeria (Algiers) | University of Algiers | 1909 | |
| Angola (Luanda) | Portuguese Angola (Luanda) | Agostinho Neto University | 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. |
| Benin (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. |
| Botswana (Gaborone, Francistown, Maun) | University of Botswana | 1964 (as part of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; university 1982) | ||
| Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou) | Republic of Upper Volta (Ouagadougou) | University of Ouagadougou | 1974 | |
| Burundi (Bujumbura) | Kingdom of Burundi (Bujumbura) | University of Burundi | 1964 | |
| Cameroon (Yaoundé) | Federal Republic of Cameroon (Yaoundé) | University of 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. |
| Cape Verde (Praia) | Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde | 2001 | As a result of the merger of the two previously existing higher education establishments (ISE and ISECMAR) | |
| Central African Republic (Bangui) | University of Bangui | 1969 | ||
| Chad (N'Djamena) | University of N'Djamena | 1971 | Originally the University of Chad, renamed the University of N'Djamena 1994. | |
| Comoros (Moroni) | University of the Comoros | 2003[69] | ||
| DR Congo (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. |
| Congo (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 (Djibouti City) | University of Djibouti | 2006 | ||
| Egypt (Giza) | Khedivate of Egypt (Cairo) | Cairo University | 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) |
| Equatorial Guinea (Malabo) | National University of Equatorial Guinea | 1995 | ||
| Eritrea (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 | |
| Eswatini (Kwaluseni) | Swaziland (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 |
| Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) | Ethiopian Empire (Addis Ababa) | University of 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. |
| Gabon (Libreville) | Omar Bongo University | 1970 | Founded as the National University of Gabon and took current name in 1978 | |
| Gambia (Serekunda) | University of the Gambia | 1999 | ||
| Ghana (Accra) | Gold Coast (Accra) | University of Ghana | 1948 (as affiliate college of the University of London; university 1961)[70] | 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. |
| Guinea (Conakry) | Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry | 1962 | ||
| Guinea-Bissau (Bissau) | Universidade Colinas de Boé | 2003 | ||
| Universidade Amílcar Cabral | 2003 | |||
| Ivory Coast (Abidjan) | Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny | 1964 (as main campus of the University of Abidjan; university 1996) | ||
| Kenya (Nairobi) | Colony and Protectorate of Kenya (Nairobi) | University of 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.[71] |
| Kenya (Nairobi) | Colony and Protectorate of Kenya (Nairobi) | Egerton University | 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.[72] |
| Lesotho (Roma) | National University of Lesotho | 1964 (as part of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland; college 1945; university 1975 | ||
| Liberia (Monrovia) | University of Liberia | 1951 (college 1863) | Building on Liberia College founded in 1863 | |
| Libya (Benghazi & Tripoli) | Kingdom of Libya (Benghazi) | University of Libya | 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. |
| Madagascar (Antananarivo) | Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies (Antananarivo) | University of 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. |
| Malawi (Zomba, Blantyre & Lilongwe) | University of Malawi | 1965 | ||
| Mali (Bamako) | University of Bamako | 1996 | ||
| Mauritania (Nouakchott) | University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya | 1981 | ||
| Mauritius (Moka) | British Mauritius (Moka) | University of Mauritius | 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. |
| Morocco (Fez) | Idrisid Kingdom of Morocco (Fez) | University of Al Quaraouiyine | 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,[73][74] though only became an official university in 1965. |
| Morocco (Rabat) | Mohammed V University | 1957 | Founded as University of Rabat | |
| Mozambique (Maputo) | Portuguese Mozambique (Lourenço Marques) | Eduardo Mondlane University | 1962 | |
| Namibia (Windhoek) | University of Namibia | 1992 | ||
| Niger (Niamey) | Abdou Moumouni University | 1974 | Originally the University of Niamey | |
| Nigeria (Ibadan) | Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria (Yaba, Lagos) | University of Ibadan | 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[75] and was a university college associated with the University of London. Independent university since 1962.[76] |
| Nigeria (Nsukka) | Federation of Nigeria (Nsukka) | University of Nigeria, Nsukka | 1960[77] | First university in Nigeria. |
| Rwanda (Kigali) | Rwanda (Kigali) | University of Rwanda | 1963 | Founded as the National University of Rwanda in 1963; incorporated into the University of Rwanda 2013 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe (São Tomé) | University of São Tomé and Príncipe | 2014 (as university; polytechnic school 1996) | ||
| Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Tifariti) | University of Tifariti | 2013 | ||
| Senegal (Dakar) | French Senegal (Dakar) | Cheikh Anta Diop University | 1957 | |
| Seychelles (Anse Royale) | University of Seychelles | 2009 | ||
| Sierra Leone (Freetown) | Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate (Freetown) | Fourah Bay College | 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.[78][79] |
| Somalia (Mogadishu) | Trust Territory of Somaliland (Mogadishu) | Somali National University | 1954 | |
| South Africa (Pretoria) | Cape Colony (Cape Town) | University of South Africa | 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. |
| South Sudan (Juba) | Democratic Republic of the Sudan (Juba) | University of Juba | 1975 | |
| Sudan (Khartoum) | Republic of the Sudan (Khartoum) | University of Khartoum | 1956 (as university; college 1902)[80] | Renamed from Gordon Memorial College, founded 1902, when it gained full university status in 1956 |
| Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) | Tanganyika Territory (Dar es Salaam) | University of Dar es Salaam | 1961 (as affiliated college of the University of London; part of the University of East Africa 1963; university 1970) | |
| Togo (Lomé) | University of Lomé | 1970 | Originally the University of Benin, changed to current name in 2001 | |
| Tunisia (Tunis) | Umayyad Caliphate (Tunis) | University of Ez-Zitouna | 1961 (as university; madrasa c. 737) | Traces its origins back to the Al-Zaytuna madrasa founded around 737, it gained university status in 1961 |
| Uganda (Kampala) | British Protectorate of Uganda (Kampala) | Makerere University | 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[81] 1970. |
| Zambia (Lusaka) | University of Zambia | 1966 | ||
| Zimbabwe (Harare) | Southern Rhodesia (Salisbury) | University of Zimbabwe | 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 |
Asia edit
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | |||
| Afghanistan (Kabul) | Kingdom of Afghanistan (Kabul) | Kabul University | 1931 | Founded in 1931, formally opened 1932. |
| Bahrain (Sakhir, Isa Town) | University of Bahrain | 1986 | ||
| Bangladesh (Dhaka) | India (Dacca, Bengal Presidency) | University of Dhaka | 1921 | First university in Bangladesh, opened 1 July 1921.[82] |
| Bhutan (Thimphu) | Royal University of Bhutan | 2003 | ||
| Brunei (Bandar Seri Begawan) | University of Brunei Darussalam | 1985 | ||
| Cambodia (Phnom Penh) | French Protectorate of Cambodia (Phnom Penh) | Royal University of Fine Arts | 1917 | |
| China | 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). | ||
| East Timor | National University of East Timor | 2000 | ||
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | The University of Hong Kong | 1911 (as university; college 1887) | Founded as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887, incorporated as a university in 1911 |
| India (New Delhi) | India (Aligarh, United Provinces of British India) | Jamia Milia Islamia | 1920 | Moved from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1925 and to its current location in 1936.[83] |
| India (New Delhi) | Delhi University | 1922 | First university established in Delhi, affiliating four older colleges (St Stephen's College, Hindu College, Zakir Husain Delhi College and Ramjas College) | |
| India (Serampore) | Danish India (Frederiknagore) | Serampore College | 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.[84] |
| India (Kolkata) | India (Calcutta, Bengal Presidency) | University of Calcutta | 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 |
| India (Mumbai) | India (Bombay, Bombay Presidency) | University of Mumbai | Called the University of Bombay until 1996. | |
| India (Chennai) | India (Madras, Madras Presidency) | University of Madras | ||
| India (Aligarh) | India (Aligarh, North-Western Provinces) | Aligarh Muslim University | 1920 (college 1875) | Established as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875; became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920. |
| India (Prayagraj) | India (Allahabad, United Provinces of British India) | University of Allahabad | 1887 | |
| India (Varanasi) | India (Banaras, United Provinces of British India) | Banaras Hindu University | 1916 | |
| India (Chandigarh) | India (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. |
| Indonesia | Dutch East Indies | University of Indonesia | 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. |
| Bandung Institute of Technology | 1920 | Founded as Technische Hogeschool. Renamed in 1959. | ||
| Iran | Imperial State of Persia | University of Tehran | 1934 | Founded by Rezā Shāh, incorporating portions of the Dar ul-Funun Polytechnic Institute (1851) and the Tehran School of Political Sciences (1899) |
| Sublime State of Persia | Kharazmi University | 1974 | Named after Khwarizmi (c. 780–850), 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.[85] | |
| Iraq | Kingdom of Iraq | University of Baghdad | 1956 | The Iraqi Royal College of Medicine was established in 1928 |
| Israel | Ottoman Empire (Beirut vilayet) | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology | 1912 (opened 1924) | Founded in 1912, but formal teaching began in 1924 |
| Occupied Enemy Territory Administration | Hebrew University of Jerusalem | 1918 | ||
| Japan | Japan | University of Tokyo | 1877 | 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,[86] Tenmonkata (The Observatory, 1684)[87] and Shutōsho (Smallpox Vaccination Centre, 1849).[88] 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.[89] |
| Keio University | 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.[90] | ||
| Ryukoku University | 1876 (as "Daikyoko (Great School)"; school 1639; university 1922) | 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.[91] | ||
| Jordan | University of Jordan | 1962 | ||
| Kazakhstan | Soviet Union ( Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic) | Al-Farabi Kazakh National University | 1933 | |
| Kuwait | University of Kuwait | 1966 | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | Soviet Union ( Kirghiz SSR) | Kyrgyz National University | 1951 (as university; institute of education 1925) | |
| Laos | National University of Laos | 1996 | ||
| Lebanon | Ottoman Empire (Syria vilayet) | American University of Beirut | 1866 (as degree-awarding college; university 1920) | Originally Syrian Protestant College, chartered by the State of New York, took current name in 1920 |
| Saint Joseph University | 1872 | |||
| Pakistan | India (Punjab) | University of the 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.[92] |
| King Edward Medical University, Lahore | 1860 | Established as Lahore Medical College, 1860. Became an independent university in 2005.[93] | ||
| Government College University, Lahore | 1864 (as college) 2002 (as a University) | Established as Government College, Lahore, 1864. Became an independent university in 2002.[93] | ||
| Macau | Macau | University of Macau | 1981 | Established as University of East Asia in 1981, renamed 1991 |
| Malaysia | British Malaya | University of Malaya | 1905 | Established as Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School on 13 July 1905 in Singapore |
| Maldives | Maldives National University | 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.[94] | |
| Mongolia | Mongolian People's Republic | National University of Mongolia | 1942 | |
| Myanmar | Burma | Rangoon University | 1878[95] | |
| Nepal | Nepal | Tribhuvan University | 1959[96] | |
| North Korea | Provisional People's Committee for North Korea | Kim Il-sung University | 1946 | |
| Oman | Sultan Qaboos University | 1986[97] | ||
| Palestine | Israeli Military Governorate | Bethlehem University | 1973[98] | |
| Philippines | Captaincy General of the Philippines | University of Santo Tomas | 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.[99] |
| Qatar | Qatar University | 1977[100] | ||
| Saudi Arabia | King Saud University | 1957 | ||
| Singapore | Straits Settlements | National University of Singapore | 1905 | Founded as Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School |
| South Korea | Korea | Sungkyunkwan University | 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. | ||
| Sri Lanka | Ceylon | University of Colombo | 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.[101] |
| Syria | State of Damascus | University of Damascus | 1923 | Founded in 1923 through the merger of the School of Medicine (established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913) |
| Taiwan | Japanese Taiwan | National Taiwan University | 1928 | Founded as Taihoku (Taipei) Imperial University |
| Tajikistan | Soviet Union ( Tajik SSR) | Tajik National University | 1947 | |
| Turkmenistan (Ashgabat) | Soviet Union ( Turkmen SSR) | Turkmen State University | 1950 (as university; pedagogical institute 1931) | |
| Thailand | Rattanakosin Kingdom | Chulalongkorn University | 1917 (as university; college 1899) | |
| United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates University | 1976 | ||
| Vietnam | French Indochina | Hanoi Medical University | 1902 | |
| Vietnam National University, Hanoi | 1904 | Originally the University of Indochina, first full subject university in Vietnam. | ||
| Yemen | Yemen Arab Republic | Sanaa University | 1970 | |
Europe edit
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[6] and over half of the universities in both Germany and Spain were destroyed. By the mid 19th century, Europe had recovered to 98 universities.[102]
| Location | Current name | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Original | |||
| Albania (Tirana) | People's Socialist Republic of Albania (Tirana) | University of 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. |
| Albania (Shkodër) | People's Socialist Republic of Albania (Shkodër) | University of Shkodër "Luigj Gurakuqi" | 1957 | |
| Armenia (Yerevan) | First Republic of Armenia (Alexandropol) | Yerevan State University | 1919 | |
| Austria (Graz) | Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire (Graz) | University of Graz | 1585 (continuous from 1827) | Founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II of Austria. Closed 1782–1827. |
| Austria (Innsbruck) | Archduchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire (Innsbruck) | University of 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. |
| Azerbaijan (Baku) | Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (Baku) | Baku State University | 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. |
| Belgium (Flemish Region) (Ghent) | United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Ghent) | Ghent University | 1817 | Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands |
| Belgium (Wallonia) (Liège) | United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Liège) | University of Liège | 1817 | Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands |
| Belgium (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.[Note 4] In 1968, it split to form two institutions: Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven and French-speaking Université catholique de Louvain. |
| Belgium (Brussels – Capital Region) | Belgium (Brussels) | Université libre de Bruxelles and Vrije Universiteit Brussel | 1834 | Founded in 1834 as the Université libre de Belgique (Free University of Belgium). In 1836, it changed its name to Université libre de Bruxelles. On 1 October 1969, the university was split into two sister institutions: the French-speaking Université libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch-speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Both names mean Free University of Brussels in English, so neither uses the English translation as it is ambiguous. |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo) | Yugoslavia (Sarajevo) | University of Sarajevo | 1949 | |
| Bulgaria (Sofia) | Principality of Bulgaria (Sofia) | Sofia University | 1904 ("higher pedagogical course" from 1888)[104] | |
| Croatia (Zagreb) | Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg) (Zagreb) | University of 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. |
| Czech Republic (Olomouc) | Bohemian crown lands, Holy Roman Empire (Olomouc) | Palacký University | 1573 | Originally known as Olomouc Jesuit University. |
| Denmark (Copenhagen) | Denmark | Technical University of Denmark | 1829 | Was founded in 1829 as the College of Advanced Technology |
| Estonia (Tartu) | Kingdom of Sweden (Dorpat) | University of Tartu | 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. |
| Finland (Helsinki) | Kingdom of Sweden (Åbo) | University of Helsinki | 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. |
| France (Paris) | Kingdom of France (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,[6] 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).[105][106] |
| France (Occitanie) | County of Toulouse (Toulouse) | Université fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées | 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. |
| France (Montpellier) | Kingdom of Majorca (Montpellier) | University of Montpellier Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 | 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.[107][108] Meanwhile, the Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 remains a separate institution. |
| France (Aix-en-Provence, Marseille) | County of Provence, Holy Roman Empire (Aix) | Aix-Marseille University | 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. |
| France (Lille) | County of Flanders, Spanish Netherlands (Douai) | University of Lille | 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. |
| Germany (Wittenberg Halle) | Holy Roman Empire (Wittenberg) | Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg | 1502 | Established in 1502 as the University of Wittenberg. Merged with University of Halle (founded 1691) in 1817. |
| Germany (Frankfurt/Oder) | Holy Roman Empire (Frankfurt/Oder) | European University Viadrina 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. |
| Georgia (Tbilisi) | Democratic Republic of Georgia (Tbilisi) | Tbilisi State University | 1918 | Founded in 1918 as Tbilisi State University |
| Gibraltar | University of Gibraltar | 2015[109] | ||
| Greece (Athens) | Kingdom of Greece (Athens) | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | 1837[110] | |
| Hungary (Budapest) | Kingdom of Hungary (Nagyszombat) | Eötvös Loránd University | 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. |
| Iceland (Reykjavík) | Denmark (Reykjavík) | University of Iceland | 1911 | |
| Ireland (Dublin) | Kingdom of Ireland (Dublin) | University of 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. |
| Italy (Urbino) | Kingdom of Italy, Holy Roman Empire (Urbino) | University of Urbino | 1506 | |
| Kosovo (Pristina) | Yugoslavia (Pristina) | University of Pristina | 1969 | |
| Latvia (Riga) | Russian Empire (Riga) | Riga Technical University | 1862 | First established as Riga Polytechnicum in 1862 |
| Liechtenstein (Vaduz) | University of Liechtenstein | 1961 | Successor to the Abendtechnikum Vaduz in 1992 | |
| Lithuania (Vilnius) | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Vilnius) | Vilnius University | 1579 (continuous operation since 1919) | Founded as the Jesuit Academy of Vilnius; the university was closed from 1832 to 1919 and again in 1943–44 |
| Luxembourg (Esch-sur-Alzette) | University of Luxembourg | 2003 | ||
| Malta (Msida) | Hospitaller Malta (Valletta) | University of Malta | 1769 | First established as the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits in 1592 |
| Netherlands (Leiden) | Dutch Republic (Leiden) | Leiden University | 1575 | Although formally still part of the Habsburg Netherlands, Leiden sided with the Dutch Revolt in 1572 |
| Netherlands (Groningen) | Dutch Republic (Groningen) | University of 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. |
| Netherlands (Utrecht) | Dutch Republic (Utrecht) | Utrecht University | 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. |
| North Macedonia (Skopje) | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Skopje) | Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje | 1946 | |
| Norway (Oslo) | Denmark–Norway (Christiania) | University of Oslo | 1811 | Founded as The Royal Frederik's University |
| Poland (Wrocław) | Bohemian crown lands, Holy Roman Empire (Breslau) | University of Wrocław | 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. |
| Poland (Warsaw) | Kingdom of Poland, Russian Empire | University of Warsaw | 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). |
| Portugal (Porto) | Kingdom of Portugal (Porto) | University of Porto | 1836 (university 1911) | First established as Polytechnic University of Porto and Medical-Surgical School of Porto since 1836 |
| Portugal (Lisbon) | Portuguese Republic (Lisbon) | University of Lisbon | 1911 | Successor to the Lisbon General Study, 1290 |
| Romania (Iași) | United Principalities (Iași) | Alexandru Ioan Cuza University | 1860[111][112] | Successor to the Princely Academy from Iaşi, 1642, and Academia Mihăileană, 1835[113] |
| Romania (Bucharest) | United Principalities (Bucharest) | University of Bucharest | 1864[111][114] | Successor to the Saint Sava College, 1694 |
| Romania (Cluj-Napoca) | Principality of Transylvania (Kolozsvár) | Babeș-Bolyai University | 1518 (continuous operation since 1919)[115][111][116] | 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). |
| Russia (Saint Petersburg) | Russian Empire (Saint Petersburg) | Saint Petersburg State University | 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 |
| Russia (Moscow) | Russian Empire (Moscow) | Moscow State University | 1755 | Founded in 1755 as Imperial Moscow University |
| Serbia (Belgrade) | Revolutionary Serbia (Belgrade) | University of 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. |
| Slovakia (Bratislava) | Czechoslovakia (Bratislava) | Comenius University | 1919 | |
| Slovenia (Ljubljana) | Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Ljubljana) | University of Ljubljana | ||
| Spain (Seville) | Spanish Empire (Seville) | University of Seville | 1505 | |
| Kingdom of Sweden (Lund) | Lund University | 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. | |
| Switzerland (Lausanne) | Old Swiss Confederacy (Lausanne) | University of Lausanne | 1537 | |
| Switzerland (Zürich) | Swiss Confederation | University of Zurich | 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) | Ottoman Empire (Constantinople) | Istanbul Technical University | 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.[117] |
| Istanbul University | 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. | ||
| Ukraine (Kharkiv) | Russian Empire (Kharkiv) | V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University | 1804 | |
| Ukraine (Lviv) | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Lwów) | Lviv University | 1661 (continuous from 1850) | Operated from 1661 to 1773, 1784–1805, 1817–1848, and since 1850. |
| United Kingdom ( Scotland) (Edinburgh) | Kingdom of Scotland (Edinburgh) | University of Edinburgh | 1582–3[118] | 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.[119][120] It opened its doors to students in October 1583.[121] |
| United Kingdom ( England) (Durham) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | Durham University | 1832[122] | Claims to be the third oldest university in England.[123][124] Listed by Rüegg in A History of the University in Europe as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1832.[122] Established under the authority of the University of Durham Act 1832.[125] Recognised as a university in the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and the Established Church Act 1836.[126][127] 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.[128][129] |
| United Kingdom ( England) (London) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | University of London | 1836[122] | Claims to be the third oldest university in England on the basis of the date of its charter.[130] Listed by Rüegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1836.[122] 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.[131] Degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837.[129] |
| United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) (Belfast) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Ireland) (Belfast) | Queen's University Belfast | 1845[122] (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.[122] 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.[139] |
| United Kingdom ( Wales) (Cardiff) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ( Wales) (Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff) | University of Wales | 1893[140] | 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[140] |
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For broader coverage of this topic see Oldest higher learning institutions This is a list of the oldest existing universities in continuous operation in the world A 1911 map of medieval universities in EuropeThe University of Bologna in Bologna Italy founded in 1088 is the world s oldest university in continuous operation 1 A dining hall at the University of Oxford in Oxford England the world s second oldest university and oldest in the English speaking worldPartial view of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge England the world s third oldest universityEstablished in 1224 by Frederick II Holy Roman Emperor University of Naples Federico II in Italy is the world s oldest state funded university in continuous operation 2 3 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 Note 1 specify although it may have existed as a different kind of institution before that time 4 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 below the university must have been founded before 1500 in Europe or be the oldest university derived from the medieval European model in a country or region It must also be still 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 5 but abolished by the French Revolution in 1793 6 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 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 twelfth century is the world s oldest university in continuous operation 1 and the first university in the sense of a higher learning and degree awarding institute 7 8 1 The origin of many medieval universities can be traced back to the Catholic cathedral schools or monastic schools which appeared as early as the sixth century and were run for hundreds of years as such before their formal establishment as universities in the high medieval period 9 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 Note 2 Note 3 12 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 Contents 1 Medieval origins 2 Modern spread 3 Founded as universities before 1500 4 Oldest universities by country or region after 1500 still in operation 4 1 Africa 4 2 Asia 4 3 Europe 4 4 Latin America and the Caribbean 4 5 North America 4 6 Oceania 5 See also 6 Notes 7 ReferencesMedieval origins editMain article Medieval university The university as an institution was historically rooted in medieval society which it in turn influenced and shaped Academic historian Walter Ruegg asserts that 12 The university is a European institution indeed it is the European institution par excellence There are various reasons for this assertion As a community of teachers and taught accorded certain rights such as administrative autonomy and the determination and realisation of curricula courses of study and of the objectives of research as well as the award of publicly recognised degrees it is a creation of medieval Europe which was the Europe of papal Christianity Modern spread editFrom 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 13 Southern and Western Europe from the 11th or 12th century Central and Northern Europe from the 14th or 15th century Americas from the 16th century Australia from the 19th century Asia and Africa from the 19th or 20th century with the exception of the Philippines where the University of Santo Tomas was established in the 17th century Founded as universities before 1500 editMain 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 1805 1815 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 14 Year University Location NotesOriginal Current1180 1190 15 teaching from c 1088 University of Bologna nbsp Kingdom of Italy nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp 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 16 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 17 However it is unlikely that the university had become organised by the 1150s and this may have been as late as the 1180s 18 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 16 19 1200 1214 20 teaching from c 1096 University of Oxford nbsp Kingdom of England nbsp Oxford United Kingdom Teaching existed in Oxford from the late 11th century 21 with the university giving the date of 1096 for the earliest classes 22 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 23 In 1209 the masters suspended their teaching in Oxford and moved to other towns including Cambridge leading to the foundation of the university there 24 returning after a bull issued on 20 June 1214 by the papal legate Niccolo de Romanis that granted a number of rights to the university and established the office of chancellor 25 Both Oxford and Cambridge were granted rights of discipline over students and of fixing rents in letters issued by King Henry III in 1231 26 A royal charter sometimes referred to as the Magna Carta of the university was granted in 1244 awarding further rights to the university 27 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 28 1209 1225 5 University of Cambridge nbsp Kingdom of England nbsp Cambridge United Kingdom Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute caused by the execution of three scholars in 1209 24 The university was organised under a chancellor by 1225 29 The university takes 1209 as its official anniversary 30 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 26 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 31 32 1218 1219 5 University of Salamanca nbsp Kingdom of Leon nbsp Salamanca Spain The oldest university in the Hispanic world The university was founded by Alfonso IX of Leon in 1218 and recognised by a papal bull from Pope Alexander IV in 1255 33 1222 5 University of Padua nbsp Medieval commune of Padua nbsp 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 34 35 1224 5 University of Naples Federico II nbsp Kingdom of Sicily nbsp Naples Italy It is the world s oldest state funded university in continuous operation 2 3 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 36 1290 5 University of Coimbra nbsp Kingdom of Portugal nbsp Coimbra Portugal Originally established in Lisbon but relocated to Coimbra from 1308 to 1338 and again from 1354 to 1377 5 before finally moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537 37 1293 Papal recognition 1346 5 University of Valladolid nbsp Crown of Castile nbsp Valladolid Spain Founded in the late 13th century 5 probably by the city 38 with the first documented reference dating from 1293 39 1308 5 University of Perugia nbsp Papal States nbsp 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 40 1347 5 Charles University nbsp Kingdom of Bohemia nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp 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 41 1357 5 originally 1246 1252 5 University of Siena nbsp Republic of Siena nbsp Siena Italy Claims to have been founded in 1240 by the Commune of Siena 42 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 5 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 43 Closed temporarily in 1808 1815 when Napoleonic forces occupied Tuscany 42 1361 5 University of Pavia nbsp Domain of the House of Visconti nbsp Pavia Italy Transferred to Piacenza 1398 1412 5 Closed for short periods during the Italian Wars Napoleonic wars and Revolutions of 1848 1364 5 re established in 1400 5 Jagiellonian University nbsp Kingdom of Poland nbsp Krakow 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 Wladyslaw Jagiello After Krakow was incorporated into the Austrian Empire the university was merged with Lwow 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 44 1365 5 University of Vienna nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp 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 5 Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg nbsp 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 5 originally 1343 to c 1360 5 University of Pisa nbsp Republic of Pisa nbsp Pisa Italy Established 1343 but closed around 1360 refounded at the start of the 15th century 5 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 45 1404 5 University of Turin nbsp Duchy of Savoy nbsp Turin Italy1409 5 University of Leipzig nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp Leipzig Germany1410 5 1413 46 University of St Andrews nbsp Kingdom of Scotland nbsp 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 46 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 47 and the seat of the greatest bishopric in Scotland and location of a monastery noted as a centre for learning 48 A charter of privilege was bestowed upon the society of masters and scholars by the Bishop of St Andrews Henry Wardlaw 49 on 28 February 1411 50 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 51 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 52 53 1419 5 University of Rostock nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp 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 54 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 55 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 56 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 57 There are records of a number of professors being appointed in 1551 including Johannes Aurifaber David Chytraeus and Johann Draconites de 58 59 1430 5 originally 1391 1394 5 University of Ferrara nbsp House of Este nbsp Ferrara Italy1431 5 originally 1303 to c 1400 5 Sapienza University of Rome nbsp Papal States nbsp Rome Italy Founded in 1303 but closed at the end of the 14th century refounded 1431 5 1444 5 University of Catania nbsp Kingdom of Sicily nbsp Catania Italy1450 5 University of Barcelona nbsp Crown of Aragon nbsp 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 60 1451 5 University of Glasgow nbsp Kingdom of Scotland nbsp 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 5 University of Greifswald nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp 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 61 1457 5 Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg nbsp 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 62 1459 5 University of Basel nbsp Basel Switzerland1459 5 1472 63 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich nbsp 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 63 1475 5 University of Copenhagen nbsp Kingdom of Denmark within the nbsp Kalmar Union nbsp Copenhagen Denmark1476 5 Eberhard Karls University of Tubingen nbsp Holy Roman Empire nbsp Tubingen Germany1477 5 Uppsala University nbsp Kingdom of Sweden within the nbsp Kalmar Union nbsp 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 64 1495 5 University of Aberdeen nbsp Kingdom of Scotland nbsp Aberdeen United Kingdom King s College was founded by a papal bull in 1495 and then Marischal College in 1593 they merged in 1860 65 1499 5 Complutense University of Madrid nbsp Crown of Castile nbsp Madrid Spain A studium generale was founded by Sancho IV of Castile in 1293 in Alcala de Henares Very little is known of this institution over the next two centuries 66 In 1499 a papal bull was granted by Pope Alexander VI authorising Archbishop Cisneros to establish a Colegio Mayor in Alcala with the same powers as the universities of Salamanca and Vallodolid from which date Verger considers it a university 5 The new university opened in 1509 67 The university was moved to Madrid in 1836 by royal decree 68 1500 5 University of Valencia nbsp Crown of Aragon nbsp Valencia SpainOldest universities by country or region after 1500 still in operation editThe 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 Africa edit Location Current name Year NotesCurrent Original nbsp Algeria Algiers nbsp French Algeria Algiers University of Algiers 1909 nbsp Angola Luanda nbsp Portuguese Angola Luanda Agostinho Neto University 1962 Founded as Estudos Gerais Universitarios 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 nbsp Benin Abomey Calavi nbsp 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 nbsp Botswana Gaborone Francistown Maun University of Botswana 1964 as part of the University of Botswana Lesotho and Swaziland university 1982 nbsp Burkina Faso Ouagadougou nbsp Republic of Upper Volta Ouagadougou University of Ouagadougou 1974 nbsp Burundi Bujumbura nbsp Kingdom of Burundi Bujumbura University of Burundi 1964 nbsp Cameroon Yaounde nbsp Federal Republic of Cameroon Yaounde University of Yaounde 1962 In 1993 following a university reform the University of Yaounde was split into two University of Yaounde I and University of Yaounde II following the university branch model pioneered by the University of Paris nbsp Cape Verde Praia Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde 2001 As a result of the merger of the two previously existing higher education establishments ISE and ISECMAR nbsp Central African Republic Bangui University of Bangui 1969 nbsp Chad N Djamena University of N Djamena 1971 Originally the University of Chad renamed the University of N Djamena 1994 nbsp Comoros Moroni University of the Comoros 2003 69 nbsp DR Congo Kinshasa nbsp 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 nbsp Congo Brazzaville nbsp 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 nbsp Djibouti Djibouti City University of Djibouti 2006 nbsp Egypt Giza nbsp Khedivate of Egypt Cairo Cairo University 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 nbsp Equatorial Guinea Malabo National University of Equatorial Guinea 1995 nbsp Eritrea 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 nbsp Eswatini Kwaluseni nbsp Swaziland 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 nbsp Ethiopia Addis Ababa nbsp Ethiopian Empire Addis Ababa University of 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 nbsp Gabon Libreville Omar Bongo University 1970 Founded as the National University of Gabon and took current name in 1978 nbsp Gambia Serekunda University of the Gambia 1999 nbsp Ghana Accra nbsp Gold Coast Accra University of Ghana 1948 as affiliate college of the University of London university 1961 70 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 nbsp Guinea Conakry Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry 1962 nbsp Guinea Bissau Bissau Universidade Colinas de Boe 2003Universidade Amilcar Cabral 2003 nbsp Ivory Coast Abidjan Universite Felix Houphouet Boigny 1964 as main campus of the University of Abidjan university 1996 nbsp Kenya Nairobi nbsp Colony and Protectorate of Kenya Nairobi University of 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 71 nbsp Kenya Nairobi nbsp Colony and Protectorate of Kenya Nairobi Egerton University 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 72 nbsp Lesotho Roma National University of Lesotho 1964 as part of the University of Botswana Lesotho and Swaziland college 1945 university 1975 nbsp Liberia Monrovia University of Liberia 1951 college 1863 Building on Liberia College founded in 1863 nbsp Libya Benghazi amp Tripoli nbsp Kingdom of Libya Benghazi University of Libya 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 nbsp Madagascar Antananarivo nbsp Colony of Madagascar and Dependencies Antananarivo University of 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 nbsp Malawi Zomba Blantyre amp Lilongwe University of Malawi 1965 nbsp Mali Bamako University of Bamako 1996 nbsp Mauritania Nouakchott University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya 1981 nbsp Mauritius Moka nbsp British Mauritius Moka University of Mauritius 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 nbsp Morocco Fez nbsp Idrisid Kingdom of Morocco Fez University of Al Quaraouiyine 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 73 74 though only became an official university in 1965 nbsp Morocco Rabat Mohammed V University 1957 Founded as University of Rabat nbsp Mozambique Maputo nbsp Portuguese Mozambique Lourenco Marques Eduardo Mondlane University 1962 nbsp Namibia Windhoek University of Namibia 1992 nbsp Niger Niamey Abdou Moumouni University 1974 Originally the University of Niamey nbsp Nigeria Ibadan nbsp Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria Yaba Lagos University of Ibadan 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 75 and was a university college associated with the University of London Independent university since 1962 76 nbsp Nigeria Nsukka nbsp Federation of Nigeria Nsukka University of Nigeria Nsukka 1960 77 First university in Nigeria nbsp Rwanda Kigali nbsp Rwanda Kigali University of Rwanda 1963 Founded as the National University of Rwanda in 1963 incorporated into the University of Rwanda 2013 nbsp Sao Tome and Principe Sao Tome University of Sao Tome and Principe 2014 as university polytechnic school 1996 nbsp Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Tifariti University of Tifariti 2013 nbsp Senegal Dakar nbsp French Senegal Dakar Cheikh Anta Diop University 1957 nbsp Seychelles Anse Royale University of Seychelles 2009 nbsp Sierra Leone Freetown nbsp Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate Freetown Fourah Bay College 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 78 79 nbsp Somalia Mogadishu nbsp Trust Territory of Somaliland Mogadishu Somali National University 1954 nbsp South Africa Pretoria nbsp Cape Colony Cape Town University of South Africa 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 nbsp South Sudan Juba nbsp Democratic Republic of the Sudan Juba University of Juba 1975 nbsp Sudan Khartoum nbsp Republic of the Sudan Khartoum University of Khartoum 1956 as university college 1902 80 Renamed from Gordon Memorial College founded 1902 when it gained full university status in 1956 nbsp Tanzania Dar es Salaam nbsp Tanganyika Territory Dar es Salaam University of Dar es Salaam 1961 as affiliated college of the University of London part of the University of East Africa 1963 university 1970 nbsp Togo Lome University of Lome 1970 Originally the University of Benin changed to current name in 2001 nbsp Tunisia Tunis nbsp Umayyad Caliphate Tunis University of Ez Zitouna 1961 as university madrasa c 737 Traces its origins back to the Al Zaytuna madrasa founded around 737 it gained university status in 1961 nbsp Uganda Kampala nbsp British Protectorate of Uganda Kampala Makerere University 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 81 1970 nbsp Zambia Lusaka University of Zambia 1966 nbsp Zimbabwe Harare nbsp Southern Rhodesia Salisbury University of Zimbabwe 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 1980Asia edit Location Current name Year NotesCurrent Original nbsp Afghanistan Kabul nbsp Kingdom of Afghanistan Kabul Kabul University 1931 Founded in 1931 formally opened 1932 nbsp Bahrain Sakhir Isa Town University of Bahrain 1986 nbsp Bangladesh Dhaka nbsp India Dacca Bengal Presidency University of Dhaka 1921 First university in Bangladesh opened 1 July 1921 82 nbsp Bhutan Thimphu Royal University of Bhutan 2003 nbsp Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan University of Brunei Darussalam 1985 nbsp Cambodia Phnom Penh nbsp French Protectorate of Cambodia Phnom Penh Royal University of Fine Arts 1917 nbsp China nbsp 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 nbsp East Timor National University of East Timor 2000 nbsp Hong Kong nbsp Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong 1911 as university college 1887 Founded as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887 incorporated as a university in 1911 nbsp India New Delhi nbsp India Aligarh United Provinces of British India Jamia Milia Islamia 1920 Moved from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1925 and to its current location in 1936 83 nbsp India New Delhi Delhi University 1922 First university established in Delhi affiliating four older colleges St Stephen s College Hindu College Zakir Husain Delhi College and Ramjas College nbsp India Serampore nbsp Danish India Frederiknagore Serampore College 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 84 nbsp India Kolkata nbsp India Calcutta Bengal Presidency University of Calcutta 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 nbsp India Mumbai nbsp India Bombay Bombay Presidency University of Mumbai Called the University of Bombay until 1996 nbsp India Chennai nbsp India Madras Madras Presidency University of Madras nbsp India Aligarh nbsp India Aligarh North Western Provinces Aligarh Muslim University 1920 college 1875 Established as Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in 1875 became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920 nbsp India Prayagraj nbsp India Allahabad United Provinces of British India University of Allahabad 1887 nbsp India Varanasi nbsp India Banaras United Provinces of British India Banaras Hindu University 1916 nbsp India Chandigarh nbsp India 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 nbsp Indonesia nbsp Dutch East Indies University of Indonesia 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 Bandung Institute of Technology 1920 Founded as Technische Hogeschool Renamed in 1959 nbsp Iran nbsp Imperial State of Persia University of Tehran 1934 Founded by Reza Shah incorporating portions of the Dar ul Funun Polytechnic Institute 1851 and the Tehran School of Political Sciences 1899 nbsp Sublime State of Persia Kharazmi University 1974 Named after Khwarizmi c 780 850 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 85 nbsp Iraq nbsp Kingdom of Iraq University of Baghdad 1956 The Iraqi Royal College of Medicine was established in 1928 nbsp Israel nbsp Ottoman Empire Beirut vilayet Technion Israel Institute of Technology 1912 opened 1924 Founded in 1912 but formal teaching began in 1924 nbsp nbsp Occupied Enemy Territory Administration Hebrew University of Jerusalem 1918 nbsp Japan nbsp Japan University of Tokyo 1877 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 86 Tenmonkata The Observatory 1684 87 and Shutōsho Smallpox Vaccination Centre 1849 88 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 89 Keio University 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 90 Ryukoku University 1876 as Daikyoko Great School school 1639 university 1922 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 91 nbsp Jordan University of Jordan 1962 nbsp Kazakhstan nbsp Soviet Union nbsp Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic Al Farabi Kazakh National University 1933 nbsp Kuwait University of Kuwait 1966 nbsp Kyrgyzstan nbsp Soviet Union nbsp Kirghiz SSR Kyrgyz National University 1951 as university institute of education 1925 nbsp Laos National University of Laos 1996 nbsp Lebanon nbsp Ottoman Empire Syria vilayet American University of Beirut 1866 as degree awarding college university 1920 Originally Syrian Protestant College chartered by the State of New York took current name in 1920Saint Joseph University 1872 nbsp Pakistan nbsp India Punjab University of the 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 92 King Edward Medical University Lahore 1860 Established as Lahore Medical College 1860 Became an independent university in 2005 93 Government College University Lahore 1864 as college 2002 as a University Established as Government College Lahore 1864 Became an independent university in 2002 93 nbsp Macau nbsp Macau University of Macau 1981 Established as University of East Asia in 1981 renamed 1991 nbsp Malaysia nbsp British Malaya University of Malaya 1905 Established as Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School on 13 July 1905 in Singapore nbsp Maldives Maldives National University 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 94 nbsp Mongolia nbsp Mongolian People s Republic National University of Mongolia 1942 nbsp Myanmar nbsp Burma Rangoon University 1878 95 nbsp Nepal nbsp Nepal Tribhuvan University 1959 96 nbsp North Korea nbsp Provisional People s Committee for North Korea Kim Il sung University 1946 nbsp Oman Sultan Qaboos University 1986 97 nbsp Palestine nbsp Israeli Military Governorate Bethlehem University 1973 98 nbsp Philippines nbsp Captaincy General of the Philippines University of Santo Tomas 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 99 nbsp Qatar Qatar University 1977 100 nbsp Saudi Arabia King Saud University 1957 nbsp Singapore nbsp Straits Settlements National University of Singapore 1905 Founded as Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School nbsp South Korea nbsp Korea Sungkyunkwan University 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 nbsp Sri Lanka nbsp Ceylon University of Colombo 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 101 nbsp Syria nbsp State of Damascus University of Damascus 1923 Founded in 1923 through the merger of the School of Medicine established 1903 and the Institute of Law established 1913 nbsp Taiwan nbsp Japanese Taiwan National Taiwan University 1928 Founded as Taihoku Taipei Imperial University nbsp Tajikistan nbsp Soviet Union nbsp Tajik SSR Tajik National University 1947 nbsp Turkmenistan Ashgabat nbsp Soviet Union nbsp Turkmen SSR Turkmen State University 1950 as university pedagogical institute 1931 nbsp Thailand nbsp Rattanakosin Kingdom Chulalongkorn University 1917 as university college 1899 nbsp United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates University 1976 nbsp Vietnam nbsp French Indochina Hanoi Medical University 1902Vietnam National University Hanoi 1904 Originally the University of Indochina first full subject university in Vietnam nbsp Yemen nbsp Yemen Arab Republic Sanaa University 1970Europe edit 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 6 and over half of the universities in both Germany and Spain were destroyed By the mid 19th century Europe had recovered to 98 universities 102 Location Current name Year NotesCurrent Original nbsp Albania Tirana nbsp People s Socialist Republic of Albania Tirana University of 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 nbsp Albania Shkoder nbsp People s Socialist Republic of Albania Shkoder University of Shkoder Luigj Gurakuqi 1957 nbsp Armenia Yerevan nbsp First Republic of Armenia Alexandropol Yerevan State University 1919 nbsp Austria Graz nbsp Archduchy of Austria nbsp Holy Roman Empire Graz University of Graz 1585 continuous from 1827 Founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II of Austria Closed 1782 1827 nbsp Austria Innsbruck nbsp Archduchy of Austria nbsp Holy Roman Empire Innsbruck University of 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 nbsp Azerbaijan Baku nbsp Azerbaijan Democratic Republic Baku Baku State University 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 nbsp Belgium Flemish Region Ghent nbsp United Kingdom of the Netherlands Ghent Ghent University 1817 Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands nbsp Belgium Wallonia Liege nbsp United Kingdom of the Netherlands Liege University of Liege 1817 Established in 1817 by William I of the Netherlands nbsp Belgium Flemish Region and Wallonia Leuven and Louvain la Neuve nbsp 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 Note 4 In 1968 it split to form two institutions Dutch speaking Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven and French speaking Universite catholique de Louvain nbsp Belgium Brussels Capital Region nbsp Belgium Brussels Universite libre de Bruxellesand Vrije Universiteit Brussel 1834 Founded in 1834 as the Universite libre de Belgique Free University of Belgium In 1836 it changed its name to Universite libre de Bruxelles On 1 October 1969 the university was split into two sister institutions the French speaking Universite libre de Bruxelles and the Dutch speaking Vrije Universiteit Brussel Both names mean Free University of Brussels in English so neither uses the English translation as it is ambiguous nbsp Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo nbsp Yugoslavia Sarajevo University of Sarajevo 1949 nbsp Bulgaria Sofia nbsp Principality of Bulgaria Sofia Sofia University 1904 higher pedagogical course from 1888 104 nbsp Croatia Zagreb nbsp Kingdom of Croatia Habsburg Zagreb University of 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 nbsp Czech Republic Olomouc nbsp Bohemian crown lands nbsp Holy Roman Empire Olomouc Palacky University 1573 Originally known as Olomouc Jesuit University nbsp Denmark Copenhagen nbsp Denmark Technical University of Denmark 1829 Was founded in 1829 as the College of Advanced Technology nbsp Estonia Tartu nbsp Kingdom of Sweden Dorpat University of Tartu 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 nbsp Finland Helsinki nbsp Kingdom of Sweden Abo University of Helsinki 1640 Founded as the Royal Academy of Turku Swedish Kungliga Akademin i Abo 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 nbsp France Paris nbsp Kingdom of France 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 6 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 105 106 nbsp France Occitanie nbsp County of Toulouse Toulouse Universite federale de Toulouse Midi Pyrenees 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 nbsp France Montpellier nbsp Kingdom of Majorca Montpellier University of MontpellierPaul Valery University Montpellier 3 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 107 108 Meanwhile the Paul Valery University Montpellier 3 remains a separate institution nbsp France Aix en Provence Marseille nbsp County of Provence nbsp Holy Roman Empire Aix Aix Marseille University 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 nbsp France Lille nbsp County of Flanders nbsp Spanish Netherlands Douai University of Lille 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 nbsp Germany WittenbergHalle nbsp Holy Roman Empire Wittenberg Martin Luther University of Halle Wittenberg 1502 Established in 1502 as the University of Wittenberg Merged with University of Halle founded 1691 in 1817 nbsp Germany Frankfurt Oder nbsp Holy Roman Empire Frankfurt Oder European University Viadrina 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 Wroclaw Poland in 1811 Reestablished in Frankfurt Oder in 1991 after German reunification nbsp Georgia Tbilisi nbsp Democratic Republic of Georgia Tbilisi Tbilisi State University 1918 Founded in 1918 as Tbilisi State University nbsp Gibraltar University of Gibraltar 2015 109 nbsp Greece Athens nbsp Kingdom of Greece Athens National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 1837 110 nbsp Hungary Budapest nbsp Kingdom of Hungary Nagyszombat Eotvos Lorand University 1635 Founded in 1635 by the archbishop and theologian Peter Pazmany 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 Pazmany Peter University 1921 1950 and since 1950 Eotvos Lorand University nbsp Iceland Reykjavik nbsp Denmark Reykjavik University of Iceland 1911 nbsp Ireland Dublin nbsp Kingdom of Ireland Dublin University of 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 nbsp Italy Urbino nbsp Kingdom of Italy nbsp Holy Roman Empire Urbino University of Urbino 1506 nbsp Kosovo Pristina nbsp Yugoslavia Pristina University of Pristina 1969 nbsp Latvia Riga nbsp Russian Empire Riga Riga Technical University 1862 First established as Riga Polytechnicum in 1862 nbsp Liechtenstein Vaduz University of Liechtenstein 1961 Successor to the Abendtechnikum Vaduz in 1992 nbsp Lithuania Vilnius nbsp Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth Vilnius Vilnius University 1579 continuous operation since 1919 Founded as the Jesuit Academy of Vilnius the university was closed from 1832 to 1919 and again in 1943 44 nbsp Luxembourg Esch sur Alzette University of Luxembourg 2003 nbsp Malta Msida nbsp Hospitaller Malta Valletta University of Malta 1769 First established as the Collegium Melitense by the Jesuits in 1592 nbsp Netherlands Leiden nbsp Dutch Republic Leiden Leiden University 1575 Although formally still part of the Habsburg Netherlands Leiden sided with the Dutch Revolt in 1572 nbsp Netherlands Groningen nbsp Dutch Republic Groningen University of 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 nbsp Netherlands Utrecht nbsp Dutch Republic Utrecht Utrecht University 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 nbsp North Macedonia Skopje nbsp Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Skopje Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje 1946 nbsp Norway Oslo nbsp Denmark Norway Christiania University of Oslo 1811 Founded as The Royal Frederik s University nbsp Poland Wroclaw nbsp Bohemian crown lands nbsp Holy Roman Empire Breslau University of Wroclaw 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 Boleslaw Bierut university between 1952 and 1989 and since 1989 University of Wroclaw nbsp Poland Warsaw nbsp Kingdom of Poland nbsp Russian Empire University of Warsaw 1816 Founded as a Royal University on 19 November 1816 when the Partitions of Poland separated Warsaw from the older University of Krakow founded in 1364 nbsp Portugal Porto nbsp Kingdom of Portugal Porto University of Porto 1836 university 1911 First established as Polytechnic University of Porto and Medical Surgical School of Porto since 1836 nbsp Portugal Lisbon nbsp Portuguese Republic Lisbon University of Lisbon 1911 Successor to the Lisbon General Study 1290 nbsp Romania Iași nbsp United Principalities Iași Alexandru Ioan Cuza University 1860 111 112 Successor to the Princely Academy from Iasi 1642 and Academia Mihăileană 1835 113 nbsp Romania Bucharest nbsp United Principalities Bucharest University of Bucharest 1864 111 114 Successor to the Saint Sava College 1694 nbsp Romania Cluj Napoca nbsp Principality of Transylvania Kolozsvar Babeș Bolyai University 1518 continuous operation since 1919 115 111 116 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 nbsp Russia Saint Petersburg nbsp Russian Empire Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg State University 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 nbsp Russia Moscow nbsp Russian Empire Moscow Moscow State University 1755 Founded in 1755 as Imperial Moscow University nbsp Serbia Belgrade nbsp Revolutionary Serbia Belgrade University of 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 nbsp Slovakia Bratislava nbsp Czechoslovakia Bratislava Comenius University 1919 nbsp Slovenia Ljubljana nbsp Kingdom of Serbs Croats and Slovenes Ljubljana University of Ljubljana nbsp Spain Seville nbsp Spanish Empire Seville University of Seville 1505 nbsp Kingdom of Sweden Lund Lund University 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 nbsp Switzerland Lausanne nbsp Old Swiss Confederacy Lausanne University of Lausanne 1537 nbsp Switzerland Zurich nbsp Swiss Confederation University of Zurich 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 nbsp Turkey Istanbul nbsp Ottoman Empire Constantinople Istanbul Technical University 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 117 Istanbul University 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 nbsp Ukraine Kharkiv nbsp Russian Empire Kharkiv V N Karazin Kharkiv National University 1804 nbsp Ukraine Lviv nbsp Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth Lwow Lviv University 1661 continuous from 1850 Operated from 1661 to 1773 1784 1805 1817 1848 and since 1850 nbsp United Kingdom nbsp Scotland Edinburgh nbsp Kingdom of Scotland Edinburgh University of Edinburgh 1582 3 118 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 119 120 It opened its doors to students in October 1583 121 nbsp United Kingdom nbsp England Durham nbsp United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Durham University 1832 122 Claims to be the third oldest university in England 123 124 Listed by Ruegg in A History of the University in Europe as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1832 122 Established under the authority of the University of Durham Act 1832 125 Recognised as a university in the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and the Established Church Act 1836 126 127 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 128 129 nbsp United Kingdom nbsp England London nbsp United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland University of London 1836 122 Claims to be the third oldest university in England on the basis of the date of its charter 130 Listed by Ruegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1836 122 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 131 Degrees granted equal privileges with those of Oxford and Cambridge by the Attorneys and Solicitors Act 1837 129 University College London founded 1826 charter 1836 and King s College London charter 1829 132 claim to be the third and fourth oldest universities in England 133 134 135 but did not offer degree courses prior to the foundation of the University of London 136 and did not gain their own degree awarding powers until 2005 and 2006 respectively 137 138 They are listed by Ruegg as colleges of the University of London rather than as a universities 122 nbsp United Kingdom Northern Ireland Belfast nbsp United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Ireland Belfast Queen s University Belfast 1845 122 as college offering degree courses university 1908 Oldest university in Northern Ireland Listed by Ruegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1845 122 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 139 nbsp United Kingdom nbsp Wales Cardiff nbsp United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland nbsp Wales Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff University of Wales 1893 140 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 Ruegg as meeting standard criteria for recognition as a university from 1893 140 span data s, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. | ||||