Check Out the 10 Oldest Universities in the World

Akansha Sirohi

Updated On: August 14, 2020 12:00 PM

Be it Colleges, Education Societies, Universities or Gurukuls, every civilization and nation has been effectively imparting education to the young minds. Following are some of the oldest universities that are still functional.

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Education has been one of the most ancient aspects of human existence. From father to son, mother to daughter and teacher to pupil, education has been travelling down the generations through different channels. Be it Colleges, Education Societies, Universities or Gurukuls, every civilization and nation has been effectively imparting education to the young minds.

In India, some of the ancient Universities that were popular amongst the educationalists, philosophers and aspiring students were Nalanda, Vikramshila and Takshila. These universities were popular throughout Asia and students from different nations use to travel to India to study.

Apart from India, there are various universities in the world which are well established and provide the best educational platform to students from across the globe. Many universities in the USA were established even before the 19th century. For example, Harvard University was established in 1636 and Stanford University was established in 1891. The UK Universities are also the centre of attraction for international students and are well established over the years.

This article covers some of the oldest universities that have continued to educate and train young minds throughout the centuries.

Check Out the 10 Oldest Universities in World:

Name of the University

Location

Year of Establishment

Founder

Courses Offered

University of Karueein

Fez, Morocco

859

Fatima al-Fihri

  • Islamic Studies
  • Study of the Islamic Nation
  • Research in related fields

University of Bologna

Bologna, Italy

1088

Frederick

  • Agriculture
  • Technology
  • Economics
  • Law
  • Medicine and Surgery

University of Salamanca

Salamanca, Spain

1164

Leonese King Alfonso IX

  • Social Sciences
  • Nursing and Physiotherapy
  • Economics and Business
  • Philosophy

University of Cambridge

Cambridge, England

1209

Hugh Balshamcg

  • Literature
  • Business and Management
  • Engineering
  • Science

University of Padua

Padua, Italy

1222

Urban V

  • Archeology
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Nutrition
  • Law

University of Naples Federico II

Naples, Italy

1224

Holy Roman Empire Frederick II

  • Medicine and Surgery
  • Education and Teaching
  • Management

University of Siena

Siena, Tuscany

1240

Ildebrandino Cacciaconti

  • Politics
  • Economics
  • International Sciences
  • Legal Studies

University of Valladolid

Valladolid, Spain

1241

Alfonso VIII of Castile

  • Business
  • Entrepreneurship

University of Coimbra

Coimbra, Portugal

1290

King Dinis

  • Communication
  • Tourism
  • Arts and Literature
  • Economics

Complutense University of Madrid

Madrid, Spain

1293

Gonzalo García Gudiel

  • Management
  • Engineering
  • Information Technology

Also Read: Study Abroad: Here are the Countries that Offer Low-Cost Education

Some of the oldest universities in the world were established before Christ, however, some of them perished. The universities listed above are not only of historical importance but are also a symbol of the importance of education and the role it has played in the development of human mind.

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