The Oldest Universities in the World: Competing with the Most Prestigious and the Newest.

Oldest Universities in the World

University of Bologna, Italy
Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest university in the world. With a global rank of 182, it is considered one of the active universities today. Originally, only doctoral programs were offered, but today it accepts students at all academic levels. The university has 85,000 students, 35,000 of whom are in graduate programs or higher.

University of Oxford, England
The University of Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world and holds a global rank of 5 among the best universities. Throughout history, many distinguished individuals have studied here, whose names are immortalized in the advancement of science and knowledge. The exact founding date of the university is unclear, but teaching took place as early as 1096. The University of Oxford has 22,000 students and is one of the most prestigious universities globally.

Oldest Universities in the World
The construction of some of the world’s oldest universities began around a thousand years ago. Universities such as Oxford and Al-Azhar in Egypt are among these ancient institutions, still considered some of the best universities in the world today. These universities not only preserve the knowledge heritage of humanity, but they also have the capability to compete with modern universities. In this article, we introduce some of the oldest universities in the world—join Saed News to learn more.

University of Bologna, Italy
Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the oldest university in the world and is ranked 182nd globally among active universities. For a time, it only offered doctoral programs, but today it accepts students at all levels. The university has 85,000 students, with 35,000 of them enrolled in graduate programs or higher.

University of Oxford, England
The University of Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world and holds a global rank of 5 among the best universities worldwide. Throughout its history, many elite individuals have studied at Oxford, whose contributions have become immortalized in the advancement of science and knowledge. While the exact founding date is unclear, teaching was first recorded there in 1096. The University of Oxford has 22,000 students and is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

University of Salamanca, Spain
Founded in 1134 in western Madrid, Spain, the University of Salamanca holds a global rank of 490. In 1218, it was granted the Royal Charter. It is the oldest university in Spain, with 30,000 students. In 1254, it became the first higher education institution in Europe to officially receive the title of "university."

University of Cambridge, England
Due to political issues between different professors at the University of Oxford, some of them decided to leave and establish a new university. Thus, the University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 in England. With a global rank of 2, it is one of the most renowned and prestigious universities in the world, even surpassing its rival, Oxford. The University of Cambridge has about 18,000 students, with one-third of them enrolled in graduate programs or higher. Initially, only men were allowed to attend the university, but later, in 1869, the first women's college was established.

University of Coimbra, Portugal
Founded in 1290 by the King of Portugal, the University of Coimbra holds a global rank of 351. Throughout history, several kings moved the location of the university, but it is now located in Coimbra, Portugal, and has 25,000 students, making it one of the most active universities in the country. The University of Coimbra has about 8 different faculties and is home to many elite students. In 2013, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.