List of oldest universities in continuous operation
Founded before 1500

List of oldest universities in continuous operation

Section Title: Founded before 1500
Table Section Text: None

Year	University	Location	Notes

Original	Current

1088 (charter granted 1158)	University of Bologna	-	Italy Bologna, Italy	The oldest university in the world. A university in the sense of a higher-learning, degree-awarding institute, the word university (Latin: universitas) having been coined at its foundation.

1096–1167 (charter granted in 1248)	University of Oxford	Kingdom of England	United Kingdom Oxford, United Kingdom	The oldest university in the English-speaking world: Oxford claims its founding ("..teaching existed ... in some form..") as early as 1096, and not later than 1167.

1134 (charter granted in 1218)	University of Salamanca	Pennant of the Kingdom of León Kingdom of León	Spain Salamanca, Spain	The oldest university in the Hispanic world. The university claims to have been founded by Alfonso IX of León in 1218 (although James Trager's People's Chronology sets its foundation date as 1134), making it the third or fourth oldest university in continuous operation.

1209 (charter granted in 1231)	University of Cambridge	Kingdom of England	United Kingdom Cambridge, United Kingdom	Founded by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute caused by the execution of two scholars in 1209. Its royal charter was granted in 1231.

1222 (probably older)	University of Padua	-	Italy Padua, Italy	Founded by scholars and professors after leaving Bologna.

1224 (1258)	University of Naples Federico II	-	Italy Naples, Italy	The first public university, founded by Frederick II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The university moved to Salerno in 1253, and its return to Naples in 1258 is sometimes considered as a refoundation.

1290	University of Coimbra	Flag of Portugal (1248–1385 Kingdom of Portugal	Portugal Coimbra, Portugal	It began its existence in Lisbon with the name Studium Generale (Estudo Geral). Scientiae thesaurus mirabilis ("the admirable treasure of knowledge"), the royal charter announcing the institution of the University, was dated 1 March 1290, although efforts had been made since at least 1288 to create this first university in Portugal.

1290	University of Macerata	Coat of arms of the Papal States Papal States	Italy Macerata, Italy	Founded in 1290, possibly as a private law school rather than a university. Unknown whether this was in continuous operation, but there is evidence for a school (without degree awarding powers) in 1518.

1293	University of Valladolid	Pennant of the Crown of Castile Crown of Castile	Spain Valladolid, Spain	Founded in the late 13th century (first documentary evidence 1293), probably by the city.

1293	Complutense University of Madrid	Pennant of the Crown of Castile Crown of Castile	Spain Madrid, Spain	The University of Alcalá was founded by King Sancho IV of Castile as Studium Generale in 1293 in Alcalá de Henares.

1303	Sapienza University of Rome	Coat of arms of the Papal States Papal States	Italy Rome, Italy	Founded by Pope Boniface VIII, but became a state university in 1935.

1308	University of Perugia	Coat of arms of the Papal States Papal States	Italy Perugia, Italy	Attested by the Bull of Pope Clement V.

1321	University of Florence	Coat of arms of the Republic of Florence Republic of Florence	Italy Florence, Italy	The University of Florence evolved from the Studium Generale, which was established by the Florentine Republic in 1321. The Studium was recognized by Pope Clement VI in 1349.

1343	University of Pisa	Coat of arms of the Republic of Pisa Republic of Pisa	Italy Pisa, Italy	It was formally founded on 3 September 1343 by an edict of Pope Clement VI, although there had been lectures on law in Pisa since the 11th century.

1348	Charles University of Prague	Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bohemia Kingdom of Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire	Czech Republic Prague, Czech Republic	Three of four faculties closed in 1419, joined with Prague Jesuit University (founded in 1562) and renamed Charles-Ferdinand University in 1652, split into German and Czech part in 1882, Czech branch closed shortly during Nazi occupation (1939–1945), German branch closed in 1945.

1357	University of Siena	Coat of arms of Siena Republic of Siena	Italy Siena, Italy	Claims to have been founded in 1240 by the Commune of Siena, although Rashdall dates the proclamation of the Studium to 1246, when Frederick II tried to place a ban on scholars travelling to Bologna.

1361	University of Pavia	House of ViscontiDomain of the House of Visconti	Italy Pavia, Italy	Closed for short periods during the Italian Wars, Napoleonic wars, and Revolutions of 1848.

1364	Jagiellonian University	Coat of arms of Poland Kingdom of Poland	Poland Kraków, Poland	Founded by Casimir the Great under the name Studium Generale, and was commonly referred to as the Kraków Academy. The institution's development stalled upon the king's death in 1370; primarily due to a lack of funding.

1365	University of Vienna	Holy Roman Empire	Austria Vienna, Austria	Modelled on the University of Paris.

1386	Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Heidelberg, Germany	Founded by Rupert I, Elector Palatine. The oldest in contemporary Germany and third oldest Germanophone university.

1391	University of Ferrara	House of Este House of Este	Italy Ferrara, Italy	Founded by Marquis Alberto d'Este.

1404	University of Turin	Duchy of Savoy	Italy Turin, Italy	Founded by the prince "Louis of Piedmont" during the reign of Amadeus VIII.

1409	University of Leipzig	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Leipzig, Germany	Founded when German-speaking staff left Prague due to the Jan Hus crisis.

1413	University of St. Andrews	Kingdom of Scotland	United Kingdom St. Andrews, United Kingdom	A school of higher studies was founded in 1410 and became a full university by the issue of a Papal bull in 1413.

1419	University of Rostock	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Rostock, Germany	During the Reformation, "the Catholic university of Rostock closed altogether and the closure was long enough to make the refounded body feel a new institution".

1434	University of Catania	Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Kingdom of Sicily	Italy Catania, Italy	The oldest in Sicily. Founded by Alfonso V of Aragon.

1450	University of Barcelona	Standard of the Crown of Aragon Crown of Aragon	Spain Barcelona, Spain	Founded by Alfonso V of Aragon as Estudi general de Barcelona after the unification of all university education. For forty-nine years prior to that foundation, however, the city had had a fledgling medical school founded by King Martin of Aragon, and in the 13th century Barcelona already possessed several civil and ecclesiastical schools.

1451	University of Glasgow	Kingdom of Scotland	United Kingdom Glasgow, United Kingdom	Founded by a Papal bull.

1456	University of Greifswald	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Greifswald, Germany	Teaching had started by 1436. Founded by initiative of Heinrich Rubenow, Lord Mayor of Greifswald (and first rector), with approval of Pope Callixtus III and Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, under the protection of Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania.

1457	Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Freiburg, Germany	Temporarily transferred to Constance in 1686–98 and 1713–15.

1460	University of Basel	Holy Roman Empire	Switzerland Basel, Switzerland	Founded in 1460 (Schola Basiliensis), the University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland.

1472	Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Munich, Germany	Founded in Ingolstadt in 1472; with a Papal Bull obtained in 1459 from Pope Pius II by Louis the Rich, transferred to Landshut in 1800, moved to Munich in 1826.

1477	Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen	Holy Roman Empire	Germany Tübingen, Germany

1477	Uppsala University	Kingdom of Sweden within the Kalmar Union	Sweden Uppsala, Sweden	Uppsala's bull, which granted the university its corporate rights, was issued by Pope Sixtus IV in 1477, and established a number of provisions.

1479	University of Copenhagen	Kingdom of Denmark within the Kalmar Union	Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark	The University of Copenhagen is the oldest university in Denmark, and the second oldest in Scandinavia after Uppsala University in Sweden

1481	University of Genoa	Republic of Genoa	Italy Genoa, Italy	Founded in 1481 (Genuense Athenaeum).

1495	University of Aberdeen	Kingdom of Scotland	United Kingdom Aberdeen, United Kingdom	King's College was founded by a Papal bull in 1495 and then Marischal College in 1593; they merged in 1860.

1495	University of Santiago de Compostela	Pennant of the Crown of Castile Galicia, Crown of Castile	Spain Santiago de Compostela, Spain	The university traces its roots to 1495, when a school was opened in Santiago. In 1504, Pope Julius II approved the foundation of a university in Santiago, and the bull for its creation was granted by Clement VII in 1526.

1499	University of Valencia	Standard of the Crown of Aragon Crown of Aragon	Spain Valencia, Spain

Sentence(s)

The University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain and the third oldest western university.

final_sentence: The University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain and the third oldest western university.