The oldest universities in Europe and the world

click fraud protection

Previously, the site described the best universities in the world, now we will talk about the oldest existing and ongoing universities in the world, all of which are in Europe and are based in the 11-13 centuries. For comparison: the oldest university in Russia is the Moscow State University, founded in 1755.

10th place. Macerata University .Papal permission to open the university was received in September 1290.It is located in the city of Macerata( Italy).Now there are 9.8 thousand students studying here.


9 place. Coimbra University is the oldest university in Portugal. Papal permission to open the university was received in August 1290.It is located in the city of Coimbra. Now there are 40.5 thousand students, undergraduates and post-graduate students.



8th place. Valladolid University .It was created by transfer to 1241 in Valladolid of the now defunct University of Palencia. Both cities are in Spain. Now in Valladolid University 24,7 thousand people study.



7 place. Siena University .It was founded in 1240 in the Italian city of Siena. Now 17,300 students study here.



6 place. Neapolitan Friedrich University II .Founded June 5, 1224 under King Frederick II as the educational center of the Sicilian Kingdom. It is located in the city of Naples( Italy).Now 80 thousand students study here.



5 place. Padua University .It was founded in the Italian city of Padua in 1222.Now 118,600 students, undergraduates and post-graduate students study here.



4 place. The University of Salamanca is the most ancient university in Spain. It was founded in 1218.Now 31,600 people study here.



3 place. Cambridge University .The University was founded in Cambridge( England) in 1209 by scientists who left the city of Oxford because an Oxford student killed a resident of the city. Now 37 thousand people study there. Cambridge University takes the 5th place in the ranking of the best universities in the world in 2014 and the 1 st place among European universities in this ranking.
The motto is Hinc lucem et pocula sacra( lat. From this place we acquire enlightenment and precious knowledge).



2 place. Oxford University .It is the oldest English-speaking university in the world, and also the oldest university in the UK.The exact date of the foundation of the university is unknown, there is evidence that they taught there in 1096.The university is located in the city of Oxford, now more than 44,000 people study there( students, undergraduates and post-graduate students).
The motto of the university is Dominus Illuminatio Mea( in Latin, the Lord is my enlightenment).In the ranking of the best universities in the world takes 9th place.



1 place. University of Bologna .It was founded in 1088, making it the oldest university in Italy, Europe and the whole world. Now here are 77.6 thousand students.