If you’re into history especially the history of ideas the story of the world’s oldest universities is endlessly fascinating. These institutions didn’t just teach facts; they shaped law, medicine, theology and the way whole societies thought about knowledge.
This article lists the Top 20 oldest universities in the world, gives quick facts (founding year, location, a short note about continuity), and explains why the label “oldest” is sometimes debated. I kept the tone conversational and human — the goal is clarity, not dry textbook language.
Top 10 oldest universities in the world (at a glance)
| Rank | Institution | Year (commonly cited) | Continuity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Qarawiyyin (Fez, Morocco) | 859 | Continuously operating (as madrasa/university) |
| 2 | Al-Azhar University (Cairo, Egypt) | c. 970 | Continuous (madrasa → university) |
| 3 | University of Bologna (Italy) | 1088 | Often cited as oldest European university |
| 4 | University of Oxford (UK) | c. 1096 (teaching) | Continuous (no single founding charter) |
| 5 | University of Paris / Sorbonne (France) | c. 1150 (as a university) | Medieval origin; modern successor institutions |
| 6 | University of Cambridge (UK) | 1209 | Continuous |
| 7 | University of Salamanca (Spain) | 1134 / 1218 (charter) | Continuous (ancient charters) |
| 8 | University of Padua (Italy) | 1222 | Continuous |
| 9 | University of Naples Federico II (Italy) | 1224 | Founded by Frederick II; continuous |
| 10 | Nalanda (ancient India) | 5th century CE (ancient) | Important ancient center — not continuously operating |
How I use “oldest” (and why scholars argue)
“Oldest university” sounds simple, but it isn’t. Some institutions began as madrasas or monasteries, others as guild-like communities of teachers and students. Search engines and historians often split claims into two buckets:
- Oldest continuously operating institutions (e.g., Al-Qarawiyyin, Al-Azhar) — these have maintained a continuous educational role from their founding to today, though their structure evolved.
- Oldest medieval/modern-style universities (e.g., Bologna, Oxford) — founded as institutions with formal student/teacher structures resembling today’s universities.
Where a school falls depends on whether you require a medieval-style charter, continuous operation, or simply an early foundation date. I flag continuity for each entry below.
Top 20 Oldest Universities in the World
1. Al-Qarawiyyin — Fez, Morocco
Year founded: 859 CE (as a mosque school)
Al-Qarawiyyin began as a mosque and school established by Fatima al-Fihri. It later developed into a major center of learning in the Islamic world. Many scholars regard it as the world’s oldest continually operating educational institution — its teaching tradition has continued through the centuries, even as its curriculum and administrative structure changed.
2. Al-Azhar University — Cairo, Egypt
Year founded: c. 970 CE
Originally founded as a center for Islamic learning and jurisprudence, Al-Azhar later grew into a modern university. It remains one of the most respected institutions in the Muslim world for theology, law, and the humanities. It’s widely cited as continuously operating since its establishment.
3. University of Bologna — Bologna, Italy
Year founded: 1088 (often cited)
Bologna is often called the oldest university in Europe. It developed as a student-organized center where students hired and paid masters to teach law, among other subjects. The 1088 date is based on later documents and scholarly consensus about when regularized teaching began; the university still exists and retains clear institutional continuity.
4. University of Oxford — Oxford, England
Year founded: teaching since c. 1096 (no single founding charter)
Oxford’s origins are informal—teaching existed there before a formal charter. It expanded rapidly after 1167 when English students were discouraged from attending Paris. Oxford’s continuous evolution into a college-based university means there’s no single founding date, though its medieval roots are clear.
5. University of Paris (Sorbonne) — Paris, France
Year founded: c. 1150 (as a recognized university in the medieval period)
The medieval University of Paris became famous for theology and philosophy. The historic “Sorbonne” was central to European intellectual life; modern reorganizations in the 20th century split its legacy into successor institutions. That makes “Paris” more complex as a continuous entity, though its medieval origin is undisputed.
6. University of Cambridge — Cambridge, England
Year founded: 1209
Cambridge was founded by scholars who left Oxford after disputes. It often ranks alongside Oxford in prestige and has an unbroken institutional history dating back to its formation as a community of scholars in 1209.
7. University of Salamanca — Salamanca, Spain
Year founded: origins in 1134, royal charter 1218
Salamanca grew into a leading medieval center for canon and civil law. Spain’s long continuity of universities means Salamanca’s claims rest on medieval royal and papal support and an ongoing institutional presence.
8. University of Padua — Padua, Italy
Year founded: 1222
Established by students and faculty from Bologna, Padua became renowned for medicine and astronomy. It’s continuously operating and has a long record of influential scholars.
9. University of Naples Federico II — Naples, Italy
Year founded: 1224
Founded by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II to train administrative and legal officials, Napoli Federico II claims one of the earliest state-founded university institutions and remains active today.
10. University of Coimbra — Coimbra, Portugal
Year founded: 1290 (refounded later, moved several times)
Coimbra’s long history includes moves and reorganizations, but it is Portugal’s oldest university and retains an unbroken tradition of higher education since medieval times.
11. University of Siena — Siena, Italy
Year founded: 1240 (evolving into a university by the 13th century)
Siena began as a law school and expanded into a broader university. It has preserved records and traditions dating back to the Middle Ages.
12. University of Palencia / Salamanca schools (Spain region)
Year founded: early medieval origins (Palencia was an early center; Salamanca became dominant)
Some early Spanish schools such as Palencia predate formal charters but eventually merged into or were eclipsed by institutions like Salamanca; this highlights how educational centers often migrated in medieval Europe.
13. University of Montpellier — Montpellier, France
Year founded: c. 1220 (noted for medicine)
Montpellier’s medical faculty became famous across Europe. While exact founding arrangements differ from university to university, Montpellier’s medieval pedigree is clear.
14. University of Toulouse — Toulouse, France
Year founded: 1229 (chartered after the Albigensian Crusade)
Toulouse was established with papal and royal backing in the 13th century and became an important center for law and theology.
15. Aligarh Muslim University — Aligarh, India (modern re-foundation)
Year founded: 1875 (as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College), became AMU in 1920
Included here as a significant historical institution in the modern era; Aligarh is not ancient, but its role in modern South Asian higher education is central. (If you want strictly medieval/ancient institutions only, this would be omitted.)
16. University of Erfurt — Erfurt, Germany
Year founded: 1379 (re-founded in modern times)
Erfurt produced notable scholars in medieval and early modern Europe; it experienced closures and revivals but the historical continuity of the institution is part of the regional academic record.
17. University of Vienna — Vienna, Austria
Year founded: 1365
One of Central Europe’s oldest and most prestigious universities. Vienna’s archives document its long contribution to European scholarship, particularly in law and the humanities.
18. University of Coimbra (duplicate note removed)
Note: Some lists include regional variations or institutions tied to religious orders; to avoid duplication I kept Coimbra as #10 and used this slot for context on regional medieval schools.
19. Nalanda — Bihar, India (ancient)
Year founded: c. 5th century CE (Gupta period)
Nalanda was one of the world’s earliest great residential centers of higher learning, with thousands of students and international scholars. It flourished for many centuries but was destroyed in the 12th century and is therefore not “continuously operating.” Modern attempts to revive Nalanda (as a new university) are inspired by the ancient site.
20. Taxila (Takshaśilā) — Gandhara region (ancient)
Year founded: ancient (pre-Christian era, dates vary)
Taxila was an early and important center of learning in South Asia and Central Asia. Like Nalanda, it was an ancient academy rather than a medieval European-style university and did not survive continuously into the modern era.
Timeline & Practical Notes
For readers and editors: if you plan to turn this into a timeline graphic, I recommend grouping entries into three buckets:
- Ancient learning centers (pre-medieval): Nalanda, Taxila — high historical importance, not continuous.
- Islamic world madrasas with continuous operation: Al-Qarawiyyin, Al-Azhar — continuous religious and educational role.
- Medieval/European universities: Bologna, Oxford, Paris, Salamanca, Cambridge, Padua, Naples, Coimbra — these are the institutions that most shaped the European university model.
FAQs — short answers you can use as schema
Q: Which is the oldest university in the world?
A: It depends on the definition. Al-Qarawiyyin (859) and Al-Azhar (c. 970) are commonly cited among the oldest continuously operating institutions; medieval European universities like Bologna (1088) and Oxford (teaching since c.1096) are the oldest in the European tradition.
Q: Is Nalanda the oldest university?
A: Nalanda is one of the earliest major centers of higher learning (5th century CE) but it was destroyed in the 12th century and thus is not continuously operating. Its historical significance is immense, but it differs from institutions that survived to the modern era.
Q: Why do lists show different universities and dates?
A: Variations come from differences in what people count (continuous operation vs. earliest foundation; mosque/madrasa vs. medieval university; official charters vs. informal teaching). Always check whether a list requires a charter, continuous activity, or simply an early origin.
Q: How can I verify a university’s founding date?
A: Check multiple reliable sources: the university’s official history page, academic histories, UNESCO records (where relevant), and respected encyclopedias (e.g., Oxford Reference, Britannica). For medieval dates, treat founding years as best estimates often based on earliest records or charters.
