List of oldest universities in continuous operation

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2008)

This is a list of the oldest extant universities in the world. To be listed on this page, an educational institution must satisfy the definition of a university at the time of founding; it must have been founded before 1500 or be the oldest university in a region; and it must have been operational without a significant interruption ever since.

Because the awarding of academic degrees for advanced studies was historically most prevalent in Europe and the Middle East, and the modern definition of a university includes the ability to grant degrees, most of the oldest institutions of higher learning that have always satisfied the modern definition were either European or Near Eastern.^[1][2] If, however, the definition were broadened to include ancient institutions that did not originally grant degrees but now do, then this list would expand significantly to include many other institutions from both Europe and other parts of the world. For instance, Nanjing University (Imperial Nanjing Institute), which exist to this day, were originally founded in 258 in China, as well as many other universities, called Guozijian. However, they did not award degrees in the strictest sense, instead, it prepared students for standardized exams that would bestow upon them a rank in the scholar-gentry.

Contents 1 Religious institutions 2 Founded before 1500 3 Post-1500, oldest universities by country or region 4 Caveat 5 See also 6 References and notes

Religious institutions

Further information: Madrasah

The university as an autonomous, self-governing educational institution was preceded by the religious college/university, whose origins lie in the medieval Islamic world. The madrasah was a medieval Islamic college of law and theology, usually affiliated with a mosque. Philosophy and the secular sciences were often excluded from the curriculum, which was mainly focused on religion,^[3] but this varied among different institutions, with some only choosing to teach the "religious sciences", and others teaching both the religious and the "secular sciences", usually logic, mathematics and philosophy. Some madrasahs further extended their curriculum to history, politics, ethics, music, metaphysics, medicine, astronomy and chemistry. In contrast to the madrasah, the Jami`ah was an institution that had individual faculties for different subjects and could house a number of madrasahs within it, with the most notable example being Al-Azhar University,^[1] which had individual faculties^[4] for a theological seminary, law and jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, astronomy, philosophy, and logic.^[1] Professors at Al-Azhar also delivered lectures on medicine during the time of Saladin.^[5] Another notable example was Mustansiriya University which offered courses dealing with philosophy, mathematics and the natural sciences.^[6]

The madrasahs differed from medieval universities of Europe in several important respects, e.g., in that instruction was presented by a small group of teachers or even by a single teacher. The crucial difference is that the degree took the form of a license (ijazah) which "was signed in the name of the teacher, not of the madrasa".^[7] In other words, "the authorization or licensing was done by each professor, not by a group or corporate body, much less by a disinterested or impersonal certifying body".^[3] As a result, the concept of a degree from a specific university was replaced with multiple licenses from individual scholars working within the same religious college/university. Islamic "universities" that operated within this framework of multiple licenses include:

Year	Current Location	Name	Other notes
859	Fes, Morocco	University of Al-Karaouine	Recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest continuously-operating, degree-granting university.[8]
975	Cairo, Egypt	Al-Azhar University	A degree-granting Jam'iah ("university" in Arabic)[1] with individual faculties[4] for a general college and theological seminary, Law and Jurisprudence, Grammar, Astronomy, Philosophy, and Logic.[1] Professors at Al-Azhar also delivered lectures on Medicine during the time of Saladin.[5]
1233	Baghdad, Iraq	Mustansiriya University	Established by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir in 1233, and, in addition to the religious subjects, offered courses dealing with philosophy, mathematics and the natural sciences.[6] The college/university was incorporated into the Baghdad University in 1962, and, in 1963, it was reopened as Al-Mustansiriya University.
1327	Timbuktu, Mali	University of Sankore	Foundation of the school was financed by Kankan Musa who paid for the Granada architect Abu Ishaq es Saheli from Egypt to build mosques and palaces throughout the empire.
1453	Istanbul, Turkey	Istanbul University	Founded as a philosophical and theological higher education institution, refounded 23 July 1846 as a Darülfünun (House of Multiple Sciences), and refounded again on 1 August 1933 as a Üniversitesi (Arts and Sciences University).

See also: Yeshiva and Medieval university (Asia)

Regarding the definition of university, which includes the ability to grant degrees in a wide range of fields, the categorization of many of the oldest learning institutions as de facto ancient universities in continuous operation could be controversial and problematic. For example, if the definition were broadened to include ancient institutions that did not originally grant degrees, were strictly religious schools for centuries or vanished without trace for long periods of time, then such categorization may agree with specific points of view which are not widely accepted.

Founded before 1500

Year	Current Location	Name	Other notes
1088	Bologna, Italy	University of Bologna	The first university founded in the Western World.
1096	Oxford, England	University of Oxford	Exact date uncertain, teaching existed since 1096, founded before 1167. Teaching suspended in 1209 (due to town execution of two scholars) and 1355 (due to the St. Scholastica riot)
1150	Paris, France	University of Paris	Exact date uncertain, founded before 1150. Teaching suspended in 1229. Split into 13 universities in 1970.
1209	Cambridge, England	University of Cambridge	Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute.
1218	Salamanca, Spain	University of Salamanca	The oldest university in current operation of Spain. Faculties of Theology and Canon Law became Pontifical University of Salamanca in 1852.
1222	Padua, Italy	University of Padua	Founded by a large group of students and professors leaving University of Bologna for more academic freedom. Suspended in 1237-61, 1509-17, 1848-50.
1224	Naples, Italy	University of Naples Federico II	Founded by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Closed in 1435-51, 1451-65, 1474-78, 1480-87, 1496-1507, 1527-29, 1531, 1547, 1562, 1585, etc.[9]
1240	Siena, Italy	University of Siena	Originally called 'Studium Senese'. Closed in 1402-1404 and 1808-14.
1290	Coimbra, Portugal	University of Coimbra	Founded in Lisbon as a Studium Generale, it was based there in 1290-1308, 1338-54, and 1377-1537.
1303	Rome, Italy	University of Rome La Sapienza	Founded by Pope Boniface VIII, but became a state university in 1935. According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, the university "remained closed during the entire pontificate of Clement VII".
1308	Perugia, Italy	University of Perugia	Attested by the Bull of Pope Clement V.
1321	Florence, Italy	University of Florence	moved to Pisa from 1473 to 1497 and from 1515 to 1860
1343	Pisa, Italy	University of Pisa	There is no record of the university between 1403 and 1476.
1346	Valladolid, Spain	University of Valladolid	Claims continuity with University of Palencia, founded in 1212 in Palencia [1]
1348	Prague, Czech Republic	Charles University of Prague	Three of four faculties closed in 1419, joined with Jesuit university and renamed Charles-Ferdinand U. in 1652, split into German and Czech part in 1882, Czech branch closed during Nazi occupation (1939-1945), German branch closed in 1945.
1361	Pavia, Italy	University of Pavia	Closed for short periods during the Italian Wars, Napoleonic wars, and Revolutions of 1848.
1364	Kraków, Poland	Cracow Academy	Development stalled early, re-established from 1400 onwards. Closed after the German occupation of Poland in 1939 but reopened clandestinely three years later.
1365	Vienna, Austria	University of Vienna	Modelled on the University of Paris.
1386	Heidelberg, Germany	Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg	Transferred to Neustadt an der Haardt in 1576-83, suppressed between 1632 and 1652, and moved out to Frankfurt am Main and elsewhere in 1689-1700.[10]
1391	Ferrara, Italy	University of Ferrara	There was no teaching in 1794-1824 and 1848-50.[2]
1398	Seoul, Korea South	Sungkyunkwan University	Founded as a successor to Gukjagam. Became modern university in 1895.
1409	Leipzig, Germany	University of Leipzig	Founded when German-speaking staff left Prague due to the Jan Hus crisis
1410	St. Andrews, Scotland	University of St. Andrews	Founded by a Papal Bull
1419	Rostock, Germany	University of Rostock	During the Reformation, "the Catholic university of Rostock closed altogether and the closure was long enough to make the refounded body feel a new institution".[11]
1425	Leuven, Belgium	Catholic University of Leuven1	The oldest university in the low countries and oldest still existing Catholic university in the world. Transferred to Brussels in 1788, shut down by the French Republic in 1797, reopened in 1816, reorganized in 1834. Since 1968 split between the French-speaking Université Catholique de Louvain and the Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
1434	Catania, Italy	University of Catania	The oldest in Sicily.
1450	Barcelona, Spain	University of Barcelona	The University of Barcelona was closed by the Bourbon dynasty and transferred to Cervera after the War of the Spanish Succession (from 1714 until 1837). Plans to open the University of Cervera did not get underway until 1715 and it did not start its academic work until 1717.
1451	Glasgow, Scotland	University of Glasgow	Founded by a Papal Bull
1456	Greifswald, Germany	University of Greifswald	Teaching existed since 1436. Closed down during the Protestant Reformation (1527-39).
1457	Freiburg, Germany	Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg	Temporarily transferred to Constance in 1686-98 and 1713-15.
1460	Basel, Switzerland	University of Basel
1472	Munich, Germany	Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich	Founded in Ingolstadt in 1459, transferred to Landshut in 1800, moved to Munich in 1826.
1477	Tübingen, Germany	Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
1477	Uppsala, Sweden	University of Uppsala	Teaching lay mainly dormant between 1515 and 1593.
1479	Copenhagen, Denmark	University of Copenhagen
1495	Aberdeen, Scotland	University of Aberdeen	King's College was founded in 1495 and Marischal College in 1593; they merged in 1860
1499	Madrid, Spain	Complutense University of Madrid	Claims continuity with Estudio de Escuelas Generales de Alcalá, founded in 1293 in Alcalá de Henares
1499	Valencia, Spain	University of Valencia

Post-1500, oldest universities by country or region

The majority of European countries had universities by 1500. After 1500, universities began to spread to other countries all over the world:

• Algeria: University of Algiers, 1909
• Americas: Officially: National University of Saint Mark, Perú, 1551. Unofficially: Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1538 or 1558.
• Angola: Agostinho Neto University (as Estudos Gerais Universitários de Angola), 1962
• Argentina: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 1613
• Armenia: Yerevan State University , 1919
• Asia: disputed by two Philippine universities founded in 1595 and 1611 respectively. (See below)
• Australia: University of Sydney, 1850
• Azerbaijan: Baku State University, 1919
• Bangladesh: University of Dhaka, 1921
• Belarus: Belarusian State University, 1921
• Bolivia: Royal and Pontificial Major University of St. Francis Xavier of Chuquisaca, 1624
• Bosnia-Herzegovina: University of Sarajevo, 1940, successor to the Islamic Law School founded in 1531
• Brazil: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 1808 .
• Bulgaria: University of Sofia, 1888
• Canada: Seminaire de Quebec, 1663, was the precursor to Laval University (Quebec) founded in 1852, the oldest French language university in North America; University of New Brunswick is the oldest English language university in Canada, founded in 1785; soon followed by University of King's College (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in 1789, McGill University(Montreal, Quebec; English language) in 1821, and King's College (York, later Toronto, Ontario) in 1827, which opened in 1843 then was disbanded by an act of legislature and replaced by University of Toronto in 1850.
• Chile: Universidad de Chile, 1622, 19 August, as Real Universidad de San Felipe
• China:
  • Nanking University, the first school officially called university in English in China, 1888. Also the first to offer doctoral education in China, 1913.
  • Beiyang University, 1896.
  • Imperial University of the Capital, China's first modern university directly initiated by the Chinese Emperor, 1898.
  • St. John's University, Shanghai, the first school granting bachelor's degree in China, 1907.
  • University of Hong Kong, 1910, evolved from the Hong Kong College of Medicine, founded in 1887
• Colombia: Universidad del Rosario, 1653
• Croatia: University of Zagreb, 1669
• Cuba: Universidad de La Habana, 1728
• Dominica: Ross University, 1978
• Dominican Republic: Santo Tomas de Aquino University, Santo Domingo, unofficially founded in 1538, and officially founded in 1558; it could be or not consider the first university in the American continent. Today it operates as the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. (Due to a 35 year hyatus from 1824-1859, it is not the oldest continuously operating university in America)
• Egypt:
  • Al-Azhar University, 975
  • Cairo University, 1908, public university; The American University in Cairo established in 1919 as a private university.
• Estonia: University of Tartu, 1802, successor to Academia Gustaviana (1632-1710)
• Finland: University of Helsinki, 1640, originally the Academy of Turku, but moved to Helsinki in 1827
• Georgia: Tbilisi State University, 1918
• Ghana: University of Ghana, 1948
• Greece: University of Athens, 1837
• Grenada: St. George's University, 1976
• Guatemala: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, 1676
• Honduras: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, 1847
• Hungary: Eötvös Loránd University, 1635 (based in Trnava, Slovakia until 1777)
• India:
  • College of Engineering, Guindy, 1794
  • Serampore College, 1818, first institution with university status (although not a university) to grant degrees in theology
  • Thomason College of Civil Engineering, 1847, the oldest autonomous engineering school in Asia, initially not a university
  • University of Calcutta, 1857, first full fledged multi disciplinary university in South Asia, with a catchment area from Lahore to Rangoon and Ceylon.
  • University of Madras, 1857
  • University of Mumbai, 1857
• Indonesia: Institut Teknologi Bandung, 1920, founded as the Technische Hogeschool et Bandoeng
• Iran:
  • Jundishapur University,Academy of Gundishapur around 200 BC, founded by Shapur I, Sassanian king (Sassanids Dynasty of Iran ) still in operation in Iran, established ca. 2200 years ago
  • University of Tehran, 1934, successor to Dar al-Funun, 1851 and the other higher education institutions
• Ireland: Trinity College, Dublin, 1592
• Iraq:
  • Mustansiriya University, 1233
  • University of Baghdad, 1956 - Although the Iraqi Royal College of Medicine was established in 1928.
• Israel: Technion, 1924
• Japan: University of Tokyo, 1684, as Temmonkata (The Observatory)^[12]
• Korea: Yonsei University, 1885
• Latvia: Riga Technical University, 1862
• Lebanon: American University of Beirut, 1866
• Lithuania: University of Vilnius, 1579, successory to the Vilnius Academy 1570, although its operation was not continuous: the university was closed from 1832 to 1919 and again in 1943-44
• Malaysia: University of Malaya, 1905
• Mali: University of Sankore, 1327
• Malta: University of Malta, 1769, successory to Collegium Melitense 1592
• Mexico: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 1551 as Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico (in 1910 changes its name to National University of Mexico [3])
• Morocco: University of Al-Karaouine, 859
• Mozambique: Eduardo Mondlane University (as Estudos Gerais Universitários de Moçambique), 1962
• Myanmar: Rangoon University,1878
• Netherlands: University of Leiden, 1575
• New Zealand: University of Otago, 1869
• Nigeria: University of Ibadan, 1948
• North America: National Autonomous University of Mexico, 1551 as Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico (in 1910 changes its name to National University of Mexico [4])
• Northern Ireland: Queen's University Belfast, 1810 (Royal Charter 1845)
• Norway: University of Oslo, 1811
• Pakistan: University of the Punjab, 1882
• Peru: National University of San Marcos, Lima, 1551, "dean university of America” (the oldest, and the first "official"), since it is the only university on the American continent that survives, uninterruptedly, since the XVIth century
• Philippines: Disputed by two universities:
  • University of San Carlos, established as the Colegio de San Ildefonso 1595 by the Jesuits, closed in 1769, reopened in 1783 by the local bishop, transferred ownership to the Dominicans (1852), then to the Vincentians (1867), and finally to the Society of the Divine Word fathers in 1935. Closed in 1941 during World War II; reopened in 1945. Received university charter in 1948.
  • University of Santo Tomas, established as the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario in 1611, received university charter in 1645, closed during World War II, reopened during post-war rebuilding. Owned by the Dominicans in its entirety of existence.
• Puerto Rico: University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras 1903
• Romania: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi, 1860; successor to the Mihaileana Academy (1834 - 1847); successor to the Princely Academy from Iaşi (1707-1821); successor to the Vasilian College (1634 - 1653)
• Russia: either Moscow State University, 1755 or Saint Petersburg State University (1724-1803, 1819) or Kant Russian State University (1544-1945, 1967)
• Serbia: Belgrade University, 1905, successor to the Great School, 1808; Orthodox Christian Academy in 1794; Teacher's college in 1778
• Singapore: National University of Singapore, 1905
• Slovenia: University of Ljubljana, 1919
• South Africa: University of Cape Town, 1829
• South America: National University of San Marcos, Peru, 1551
• Sudan:University of Khartoum, 1902, formerly known as Gordon Memorial College, public university.
• Syria: University of Damascus was founded in 1923 through the merger of the School of Medicine (established 1903) and the Institute of Law (established 1913).
• Switzerland:
  • University of Basel, 1460
  • University of Lausanne, 1537
• Thailand: Chulalongkorn University, 1917
• Turkey:
  • Istanbul University, 1453
  • Istanbul Technical University, 1773
• Uganda: Makerere University, 1922
• Ukraine: University of Lviv, 1661
• U.S.: see First university in the United States
• Venezuela: Central University of Venezuela, 1721
• Wales: University of Wales, Lampeter, 1822

Caveat

The actual date a university started to function is often rather hazy and differs a good deal from legend, or from the date its ancestor-institution was founded. For example, it is generally admitted today that Oxford's foundation cannot be precisely dated, but must lie somewhere in the mid-to-late 12th century. However, the notion that a college could be empowered to give the bachelor's degree is a modern American one; by European terms, Harvard College had already adopted the powers (if not the style) of a university in 1642. The University of Pennsylvania was simply the first U.S. institution to call itself a university; but neither it, Harvard, or any of the seven other Colonial American colleges were nearly as large or diverse as European universities of the time. The first U.S. university to create a modern graduate school and award a Ph.D. degree was Yale University, in 1861.

See also

• Ancient university
• Medieval university
• Medieval university (Asia)
• Studium Generale
• Third oldest university in England debate

References and notes

---

No comments have been added.

Your name:
City:
Country:	USA UK India Pakistan UAE Saudi Arabia Germany Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burund Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Rep Chad Chile China Columbia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic DR Congo Denmark Djiboutil Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eq Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Grenadines Guatemala Guinea Bissau Guinea Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Neth Antilles Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Rawanda Romania Russia Sao Tome Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Korea South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts_Nevis St Lucia Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvala UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Western Samoa Yemen Yugoslavia Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe
Your comments:
Security check * (Please enter the number into adjoining box)