Top Oldest Universities in the World

For hundreds if years now the university education has been in existence, this list of the top 10 universities in the world was listed among the top 10 universities founded before the 13th century. Even thou most of them have gone into extinction whiles some have been incorporated into other institutions. But in order to reminisce your memory of history, we were able to compile this list

1. University of Al Quaraouiyine

Location: Fez, Morocco

Website: http://uaq.ma/index.php/forward-president-of-al-quaraouyine-university 

Year of Establishment: 859

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 This university continues to be the oldest existing university in the world still awarding B.Sc., it was incorporated into the morocco university system in 1963.  Her program is strongly concentrated in Islamic and legal studies.  This university was founded by a woman. It has a student’s population of about 8,120.

2. Al-Azhar University

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Website: 

Year of Establishment:  970

This university was initially founded as an Islamic university; it has a student’s network of about 2million students.  Its main aim is to promote Islam. Her library is considered the second most important facility in Egypt, the method of teaching in the university during its founding years was rhetoric.  Currently in 1960 it was incorporated into Egypt university system, then it added faculty of medicine and engineering to her programs. 

3. University of Bologna

Location: Bologna, Italy

Website: http://www.unibo.it/en 

 Year of Establishment: 1088

This public university is the oldest continuous running university in the western world. It has 11 schools and was the first to use the work university. It is unique for her program in civil and canon law. It initially started with a group of students known as the nations. This institution from inspection awarded only doctorate degree. Thou currently it awards Bachelor’s and master’s degree. It has a student’s population of 82,363.

4. University of Oxford

Location: Oxford, England

Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk/ 

Year of Establishment:  1096

This is the oldest continuous existing university in the UK, associated with the Catholic church.  It has 38 colleges and academic department merged into 4 academic divisions.  Membership of this university is through a college or a hall.  It has a student’s population of about 23,195.  It has produced many Nobel laureates and about 27 prime minister of the Great Britain and about 30 international leaders.

5. University of Salamanca

Location: Salamanca, Spain

Website: http://www.usal.es/

Year of Establishment: 1134

This public university is renowned as the center for humanities and it renowned for her courses in language, economics and law.  It has many research centers, like the cancer center, Ultrashort Ultra Intense Pulse Lasers Centre, neuroscience center etc.  It has a student’s population of about 28000, it renowned also for producing Aristides Royo, the President of Panama. 

6. University of Paris

Location: Paris, France

Website: 

Year of Establishment: 1160

This university since the middle ages has a great reputation in the fields of humanities, especially in the fields of philosophy and theology. Currently this university was formally divided into 13 universities, thou it was closed down during the French revolution and was replaced by new four faculties.

7. University of Cambridge 

Location: Cambridge, England

Website: https://www.cam.ac.uk/ 

Year of establishment: 1209

 This is a public research university, which houses the oldest and largest publishing house in the world, it also operates a museum of culture and science, and her students have access to about 15million books.  This university has about 100 libraries. And her numerous programs is divided into 6 schools.

8. University of Padua

Location: Padua, Italy

Website: http://www.unipd.it/en/ 

Year of establishment: 1222

 This university is unique for her history anatomy theater, thou it was initially founded as a school of law and medicine, but it has contributed greatly to scientific research in both Europe and the world.  It also has nine museums’. It has about 59,317 students enrolled in her programs.

9. University of Naples Federico II

Location: Naples, Italy

Website: http://www.unina.it/en_GB/home   

Year of establishment: 1224

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This university is a state owned public research university without any affliction to any religion, her programs is divided into 13 faculties under three independent divisions.  It was founded by king Frederick II. With aim of facilitate the cultural development of promising youths without the influence of the pope. It has about 78,324 students, while it has produced 3 Italian president and the first Italian woman on space.

10. University of Toulouse

Location: Toulouse, France

Website: http://en.univ-toulouse.fr/ 

Year of establishment: 1229

This university is located in the center of art, history, and culture, with the closing of the university during the French revolution in 1793, it has split into Manny independent colleges currently, thou currently the present university of Toulouse was founded in 2007.