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 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
ANGOLA
Founded as Estudos Gerais Universitários de Angola. Was renamed Universidade de Luanda in 1968. After Angolan independence from Portugal in 1975, the institution was renamed the University of Angola. In 1985 it was renamed Agostinho Neto University, in honour of Agostinho Neto, the first President of Angola.
BENIN
Originally the University of Dahomey. Renamed the National University of Benin in 1975 and took its current name in 2001.
CAMEROON
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
As a result of the merger of the two previously existing higher education establishments ISE and ISECMAR
CHAD
Originally the University of Chad, renamed the University of N‘Djamena 1994.
DR CONGO
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
Founded as the University of Brazzaville in 1971, changed to current name in 1977.
EGYPT
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
ERITREA
Founded following the closure of the University of Asmara, which had been established as a college in 1958
ESWATINI
Originally established as the University of Swaziland, changed to current name in 2018
ETHIOPIA
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
Founded as the National University of Gabon and took current name in 1978
GHANA
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.
KENYA
UNIVERSITY OR NAIROBI
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.
EGERTON UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1939, and was originally named Egerton Farm School. It was established by a land grant of 740 acres 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 or 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.
LIBYA
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
Founded December 1955 as the Institute for Advanced Studies in Antananarivo. Renamed the University of Madagascar in 1961.
MAURITIUS
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
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, though only became an official university in 1965. University of Rabat founded in 1957.
NIGER
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 and was a university college associated with the University of London. Independent university since 1962.
RWANDA
Founded as the National University of Rwanda in 1963; incorporated into the University of Rwanda 2013
SIERRA LEONE
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
SOUTH AFRICA
Originally founded as the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1916 it was transformed into the federal University of South Africa and relocated to Pretoria.
SUDAN
Renamed from Gordon Memorial College, founded 1902, when it gained full university status in 1956
TOGO
Originally the University of Benin, changed to current name in 2001
TUNISIA
Traces its origins back to the Al-Zaytuna madrasa founded around 737, it gained university status in 1961
UGANDA
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.
ZIMBABWE
Founded in 1952 as University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. University of Rhodesia from 1970 and University of Zimbabwe from 1980
ASIA
CHINA
HUMAN UNIVERSITY
The university was originally called the Yuelu Academy in 976 and was converted into Hunan Institute of Higher Learning in 1903. It was later renamed Hunan Normal College, Hunan Public Polytechnic School, and finally Hunan University in 1926.
PEKING UNIVERSITY
First modern national university in China, whose original name was Imperial University of Peking. It is the successor of Guozijian, or Imperial College, which was founded in 1306.
TIANJIN UNIVERSITY
The first higher education institution in China. It was established in 1895 as Imperial Tientsin University and later Peiyang University . In 1951, after restructuring, it was renamed Tianjin University, and became one of the largest multidisciplinary engineering universities in China.
NANJING UNIVERSITY
Traces its origins to a Confucian institution Taihsueh, which was founded in 258. Known in Chinese as Jinling University. Was a private university later merged with the public University of Nanjing . First institution in China to use the English term „university“. Educational institutions were closed in China on 13 June 1966 due to the Cultural Revolution, reopening in July 1967.
HONG KONG
Founded as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887, incorporated as a university in 1911
INDIA
NEW DELHI
Moved from Aligarh to New Delhi in 1925 and to its current location in 1936.
SERAMPORE
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.
KOLKATA
First full-fledged multi-disciplinary university in South Asia. The University of Bombay and the University of Madras were subsequently established in the same year.
MUMBAI
Called the University of Bombay until 1996.
ALIGARH
Established as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875; became Aligarh Muslim University in 1920.
INDONESIA
UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA
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.
IRAN
UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN
Founded by Rezā Shāh, incorporating portions of the Dar ul-Funun Polytechnic Institute 1851 and the Tehran School of Political Sciences 1899.
KHARAZMI UNIVERSITY
Named after Khwarizmi, 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.
JAPAN
UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
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, Tenmonkata and Shutōsho.
The university was established in 1877 by the merger of three institutions: Shoheiko, Yogakusho and Shutosho, originally as Tokyo University before becoming the Imperial University and then Tokyo Imperial University before reverting to its original name after World War II.
KEIO UNIVERSITY
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.
RYUKOKU UNIVERSITY
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.
SOUTH KOREA
SUNGKYUNKWAN
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.
EHWA WOMANS
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.
EUROPE
While Europe had 143 universities in 1789, the Coalition Wars took a heavy toll, reducing the number to 83 by 1815. The universities of France were abolished and over half of the universities in both Germany and Spain were destroyed. By the mid 19th century, Europe had recovered to 98 universities.
ALBANIA
UNIVERSITY OF TIRANA
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.
AUSTRIA
UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK
Originally established as a Jesuit school in 1562 before becoming a university in 1669. Closed as a university from 1782 to 1826.
AZERBAIJAN
BAKU STATE UNIVERSITY
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
KU LEUVEN AND UCLOUVAIN
Founded as the Catholic University of Belgium in Mechlin on 8 November 1834 by the bishops of Belgium. Moved to Leuven on 1 December 1835, after the suppression of the State University of Leuven, where it took the name Catholic University of Louvain. In 1968, it split to form two institutions: Dutch-speaking Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven and French-speaking Université catholique de Louvain.
Université libre de Bruxelles
And Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Founded in 1834 as the Université libre de Belgique . 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.
CROATIA
UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB
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.
FINLAND
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
Founded as the Royal Academy of Turku. 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
SORBONE UNIVERSITY
Emerged around 1150 as a corporation associated with the cathedral school of Notre Dame de Paris, it was considered the second-oldest university in Europe.
Officially chartered in 1200 by Philip II of France and recognised in 1215 by Pope Innocent III, it was often nicknamed after its theology collegiate institution, College of Sorbonne, founded about 1257 by Robert de Sorbon and charted by Louis IX of France. It was abolished in 1793 by the French Revolution, and was replaced by Napoleon on 1 May 1806 by the University of France system. In 1896 the Louis Liard law allowed the founding of a new University of Paris. In 1970, it split into 13 separate universities and numerous specialised institutions of higher education.
In 2018, Sorbonne University was formed from the Paris-Sorbonne University and Pierre and Marie Curie University.
Université fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées
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.
University of Montpellier
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. Meanwhile, the Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3 remains a separate institution.
Aix-Marseille University
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 as a school of languages and letters, and the University of Aix-Marseille as primarily a school of medicine and sciences. In 1973 the University of Law, Economics and Science was added. In 2012 the three universities merged and was renamed Aix-Marseille University.
University of Lille
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.
