Top 10 Oldest Universities In The World

You’ve been hearing the likes of Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, do you think they are the oldest universities in the world? There are so many universities out there that has been established more than 7 to 8 centuries ago, and this article contains the globally-ranked oldest universities in the world.

Oldest Universities in the World

#10. University of Coimbra, Portugal

Starting up the list is the University of Coimbra established in 1290. It was first established in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon before its location was changed several times until it ended up in Coimbra, the third-largest city in Portugal, because of political exigencies.

Featured on the 401-410 range in QS latest rankings of world universities, the University has a student population of about 25,000 and in 2013 was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List on account of the several historical buildings and classical architecture of the school.

#9. University of Sienna, Italy

Founded in 1240, the University of Sienna is located in the Tuscany region of Italy and it is a renowned institution ranked in the 800-1000 bracket of top universities in the world.

Sienna is a small city in Italy, yet the student population of the university is around 20,000 which is approximately half the city’s entire population.

#8. University of Naples Federico II, Italy

Located in Naples, Italy, the University was established by the order of Emperor Frederick II, in 1224. Currently, it is ranked in the 481-490 range in the latest world rankings of universities.

One of the most famous alumni of this University is the theologian and philosopher Thomas Aquinas. Today, the university is a huge educational institution with a massive student population of about 100,000 across different part of the world.

#7. University of Padua, Italy

The University of Padua was founded in 1222, although there is some evidence the university started at a much earlier date.

Ranked 296 in the world, the school has a student population of about 60,000. The city is now famous for being the setting of Shakespeare’s play, ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’

University of Padua also boasts one of the oldest academic gardens in the world, the Botanical Garden of Padua, established in 1545. It is also globally renowned for its museums, and there are nine of them currently under the administration of the university.

#6. University of Cambridge, UK

The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 by some disgruntled scholars who abhorred the politics of the University of Oxford.

It is now one of the most recognizable names in universities worldwide. The world’s 5th ranked University has a student population of about 20,000 students from various parts of the world. About 20% of its student population are international students outside the European nations which makes the university an ideal destination for international students.

#5. University of Paris, France

Popularly known as ‘la Sorbonne’ the University of Paris, France was founded in the year 1160, making it one of the oldest universities in the world.

Today, the original University is divided into 13 independent universities all located within various parts of Paris. All the 13 universities have high reputations around the world with Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Universite Paris- Sorbonne, and Universite Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne being the three top-ranked amongst them all at 131st, 293rd, and 260th respectively.

#4. University of Salamanca, Spain

Founded in 1134, it is the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest universities in the world.

Located in the capital Madrid, the University is recognized for being the place where renowned adventurer Christopher Columbus first pitched for government’s support for his expedition to discover new worlds in the West.

The University now has a global ranking in the 601-650 range and has over 30,000 both residents and international students pursing admission into ne of its nine campuses.

#3. University of Oxford, UK

Founded in 1096, the University of Oxford clearly stands out as the school of choice for the political and academic elite of the UK.

The university boasts of some of the well-known and influential people in the world as its alumni which include 27 UK Prime Ministers, 47 winners of the Nobel Prize, and one of the greatest minds of our times, Sir Stephen Hawking.

Currently, the university is ranked 6th in the world and has over 27,000 student population. The Oxford University Press is also recognized for being the largest printing press owned by a university in the world.

#2. University of Bologna, Italy

This is the second on the list of the top 10 oldest universities in the world with known global ranking. The University of Bologna has the distinction of being in continuous operation since it was established in 1088.

The University used to focus only on postgraduate doctoral research until recently. It now has different programs across all disciplines both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and a student population of about 85,000 with a third of these comprising postgraduate students.

The university is not a big payer In terms of ranking and currently ranks 188th in the latest World University Rankings.

#1. Al-Azhar University, Egypt

Al-Azhar University is this the oldest on the list of the top 10 Globally-Ranked Oldest Universities In the World. Though it gained university status in 1961, the university was actually established in 970 in Cairo, Egypt as a center of Islamic learning to teach students from primary to tertiary level.

The school has survived several political upheavals, the worst of which was the destruction of over 100,000 texts by the political overload of the time in the 12th century

Currently, Al-Azhar University is a university with a modern curriculum offering courses in the sciences, medical sciences, technology, humanities, and also arts. It is ranked in the 801-1000 bracket in the world’s university ranking.

Conclusion

These oldest universities in the world have survived different disasters over the years and still remain functional. If by any means you have any course in mind of which they are ranked as one of the favorites offering it, it is best you go for them.

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