10 of the Oldest Universities in the World: Know the First!

1. University of Bologna

Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the first & the oldest university in the world. It is known as the “Nourishing Mother of Studies” as per the Latin motto & has never been out of service since its establishment, offering diverse programs at all levels. Its famous alums include three popes, multiple business owners, and Italian politicians.

Location	Italy
Top Specialisations	Computer science, Civil engineering, Food science & technology, Physics, Oncology, and Agricultural sciences
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 2.26 to 3.11 Lakhs

2. University of Oxford

Ranking 4th in the QS World University Rankings 2025, this oldest university in the world caters to a student community of nearly 25,000. Besides, it operates the largest university press worldwide, publishing for three critical markets—research, education, and English language teaching. Moreover, the university’s alumni include 28 UK Prime Ministers, 20 Archbishops of Canterbury, 12 saints, 27 Nobel laureates, 50 Nobel Prize winners, and Sir Stephen Hawking.

Location	United Kingdom
Top Specialisations	Computer science and information technology, Linguistics, Medicine, Natural sciences, etc.
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 26.28 to 40.17 Lakhs

3. University of Salamanca

This is the top oldest university in the world that caters to more than 30,000 students. It is known as the “Oxford of Spain” and has six campuses—Historical campus, Campus of Sciences, Campus de Canalejas, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Campus Ciudad Jardín, and Campus Villamayor.

Location	Spain
Top Specialisations	Art and humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social and legal sciences, Engineering and architecture
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 2 to 4 Lakhs

4. University of Paris

In the list of oldest university in the world, the University of Paris is the ancient one in Europe. Even though this university was suspended for 103 years after the French revolution, today, it is scattered throughout France and divided into 13 institutions.

Location	France
Top Specialisations	Computer Science, Engineering, Health, Social Science and Humanities
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 13,604  to 49,616

5. University of Cambridge

Being one of the most ancient university in the world, Cambridge University was developed by a group of scholars who left the University of Oxford due to political reasons. Cambridge’s most notable alumni include Sir Isaac Newton, Alan Turing, Francis Bacon, etc.

Location	United Kingdom
Top Specialisations	Computer science, Engineering, Health, Social science and humanities, Business and economics, Law
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 26.984 to 59.5 Lakhs

6. University of Padua

Ranking among the list of mediaeval universities in Italy, the University of Padua is known for its early research in astronomy, law, medicine, and philosophy. It hosts around 62,500 students, established the Botanical Garden of Padua, and runs nine museums.

Location	Italy
Top Specialisations	Agricultural science and veterinary Medicine, Forest Science, Food and health
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 15K to 7.22 Lakhs

7. University of Naples Federico II

This university ranks 416 in the QS World University Rankings 2024. It is known for providing quality education to about 80,000 students. Its most famous alumni are the Italian presidents Enrico De Nicola, Giovanni Leone and Giorgio Napolitano; mayors of Naples Luigi de Magistris and Gaetano Manfredi; CEO Fabrizio Freda; and philosophers Benedetto Croce/ Nicola Abbagnano.

Location	Italy
Top Specialisations	Agriculture, Architecture, Economics, Pharmacy, Law, Engineering, Medicine & Surgery
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 2.53 to 30.2 Lakhs

8. University of Siena

This university has a solid global standing with a QS World University Rankings 2024 of 751-800. It provides education to half of the city’s population with 20,000+ students. Besides, the city is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is visited by 1 lakh+ tourists every year to enjoy food, art, museums, and mediaeval heritage.

Location	Italy
Top Specialisations	Economics, Pharmacy, Law, Engineering, Medicine & surgery, etc.
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 63.87K to 2.3 Lakhs

9. University of Coimbra

Among the other oldest universities abroad, this university has a student community of over 24,000. This university has been through various radical reforms, and for decades, in the 18th century, Coimbra was the only operative university. Besides, it has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its cultural traditions, historical setups/buildings, etc.

Location	Portugal
Top Courses	Art & Humanities, Clinical pre-clinical and health, Engineering & Technology, Life sciences, etc.
Tuition Fee	INR 40K to 19.18 Lakhs

10. Al-Azhar University

This university was initially known as the centre of Islamic learning, but later it developed a modern curriculum, including secular subjects, to ensure survival. This school had seen political instability throughout its course, particularly in the 12th century when a new dynasty destroyed its 1,00,000+ texts. However, now it is ranking at the 1201-1400th position in the QS World University Rankings 2024.

Location	Egypt
Top Specialisations	Science & Technology, Management and business administration, Arts, Language and humanities, etc.
Annual Tuition Fee	INR 2.05 Lakhs

Suggested: Top Countries for MBA Abroad

Which is the First University in the World?

The University of Bologna is the first university in the world founded in 1088 under the guidance of teacher Irnerius.

Next, look at the list of oldest universities categorised based on top study-abroad destinations.

Oldest Universities in Different Countries

Other than the above-mentioned list of oldest universities in the world, let’s explore the list of oldest universities in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, and France with their establishment year.

1. Oldest Universities in Canada

Canada’s 30 universities rank in the QS World University Rankings 2024 among the other 1,392 global universities. This ranking clearly states the country’s academic reputation among international students.

Here is a list of the oldest universities in Canada:

University Name	Establishment Year
Université Laval	1852
University of New Brunswick	1785
The University of King’s College	1789
Saint Mary’s University	1802
Dalhousie University	1818
Université de Saint-Boniface	1818
McGill University	1821
University of Toronto	1827
Acadia University	1838
Mount Allison University	1839

2. Oldest Universities in USA

USA’s 202 universities rank in the QS World University Rankings 2024 among the other 1,220 global universities. Here is a list of the oldest universities in the USA;

University Name	Establishment Year
Harvard University	1636
St. John’s College	1850
Yale University	1706
College of William and Mary	1693
University of Pennsylvania	1740
Moravian College	1742
University of Delaware	1743
Princeton University	1746
Washington and Lee University	1749
Columbia University	1754

3. Oldest Universities in UK

UK’s 15 cities are ranked in the QS Best Student City Rankings 2024 among the other 125 global cities. It clearly states that international students consider the US an affordable and desirable city to pursue their education.

Here are the oldest universities in the UK:

University Name	Establishment Year
University of Oxford	1096
University of Cambridge	1209
University of St Andrews	1413
University of Glasgow	1415
University of Aberdeen	1495
University of Edinburgh	1583
University of Manchester	2004
University College London	1826
University of Durham	1832
Aberystwyth University	1872

4. Oldest Universities in Australia

Australia provides international students with an opportunity to select from 22,000 courses to pursue their higher education. Let’s explore the list of the oldest universities in Australia.

University Name	Establishment Year
University of Sydney	1850
University of Melbourne	1853
Federation University Australia	1870
The University of Adelaide	1874
RMIT University	1887
University of Tasmania	1890
Swinburne University of Technology	1908
The University of Queensland	1909
The University of Western Australia	1911
University of New England, Australia	1996

5. Oldest Universities in Germany

Germany is considered one of the most affordable countries to pursue higher education compared to the quality of education it offers. Besides, it has globally ranked universities/degrees and numerous courses for international students.

Here are the oldest universities in Germany:

University Name	Establishment Year
Heidelberg University	1368
Leipzig University	1409
University of Rostock	1419
University of Greifswald	1456
University of Freiburg	1457
LMU Munich	1472
University of Tübingen	1477
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg	1502
Philipps-Universität Marburg	1527
Friedrich Schiller University Jena	1558

6. Oldest Universities in France

The country France has a rich culture, gastronomy, architecture, and fantastic student life. Studying here allows international students to learn the language and gain a cultural perspective. Let’s explore its list of oldest universities.

Here are the oldest universities in the France:

University Name	Establishment Year
University of Toulouse	1229
Montpellier University	1289
Grenoble Alpes University	1339
University of Franche-Comte	1423
University of Poitiers	1431
University of Caen Normandy	1432
University of Bordeaux	1441
University of Nantes	1460
University of Western Brittany	1971
University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne	1967

Suggested: Best Countries to Study Abroad

Now you know which are the oldest universities in the world to pursue higher education. However, after country, course, and university selection, the next step in the study abroad process includes university application, loan/scholarship application, visa application, etc. These steps can be a bit intimidating for first-time study abroad aspirants. But worry not!

As we are here with our Yocket premium service to reduce the hassle. You can subscribe to it, connect with our expert counsellors, and enjoy their personalised/ end-to-end guidance. They will ensure that your study abroad journey becomes smooth from the initial to the final step.

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