List of medieval universities

List of medieval universities (founded before 1600), in order of foundation. Note that many of these institutions were schools prior to the university foundation date.

Pre-thirteenth century

* University of Al-Karaouine, Fes, Morocco – Founded in 859.
* Al-Azhar University , Cairo, Egypt – A degree-granting Jam'iah ("university" in Arabic) [1] with individual faculties [4] for a Madrasah and theological seminary, Islamic law and jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, Islamic astronomy, early Islamic philosophy, and logic in Islamic philosophy.
* University of Constantinople, Byzantine Empire – teaching from 9th Century until 14th Century [1. There is some uncertainty as to which medieval university ought to be considered the oldest, since different criteria for the existence of a “university” yield different answers. The distinction is generally given to either Bologna or Paris—- Bologna as the first to have a corporate body (the “nations” of foreign law students, established at the end of the twelfth century), Paris as the first with an association of students and teachers of all the disciplines (1208). See the reference section for further information.]
* University of Al-Karaouine, Fes, Morocco – Founded in 859.
* Al-Azhar University , Cairo, Egypt – A degree-granting Jam'iah ("university" in Arabic) [1] with individual faculties [4] for a Madrasah and theological seminary, Islamic law and jurisprudence, Arabic grammar, Islamic astronomy, early Islamic philosophy, and logic in Islamic philosophy.
* University of Bologna, Italy – teaching from 11th Century recognised as University 1088
* University of Paris, France – recognised as University 1150
* University of Oxford, England – teaching from 1096 recognised as University 1167
* University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy – recognised as University 1175
* Bosnian Church University, Visoko, Bosnia – recognised as University 1175 - disbanded 1463

Thirteenth century

* University of Vicenza, Italy – recognised as University 1204
* University of Cambridge, England – teaching from 12th Century, recognised as University 1209
* University of Palencia, Spain – recognised as University 1212
* University of Arezzo, Italy – recognised as University 1215
* University of Salamanca, Spain – recognised as University 1218
* University of Padua, Italy – recognised as University 1222
* University of Naples Federico II, Italy – recognised as University 1224 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
* University of Toulouse, France – recognised as University 1229
* University of Siena, Italy – recognised as University 1240
* University of Piacenza, Italy – recognised as University 1248
* University of Valladolid, Spain – recognised as University 1250
* University of Seville, Spain – recognised as University 1254
* Sorbonne, France (at the University of Paris) – recognised as University 1257
* University of Northampton, England – recognised as University 1261 – disbanded 1265
* University of Montpellier, France – recognised as University 1289
* University of Coimbra, Portugal – recognised as University 1290 (in Lisbon)
* University of Macerata, Italy – recognised as University 1290
* University of Lisbon, Portugal – recognised as University 1290
* University of Lleida, Spain – recognised as University 1300

Fourteenth century

* University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy – recognised as University 1303
* University of Avignon, France – recognized as University 1303
* University of Orléans, France – recognised as University 1306
* University of Perugia, Italy – recognised as University 1308
* University of Treviso, Italy – recognised as University 1318
* University of Cahors – recognised as University 1332
* University of Stamford (or the Stamford Schism) - 1333 to 1334
* University of Angers, France – recognised as University 1337
* University of Pisa, Italy – recognised as University 1338
* University of Grenoble – recognised as University 1339
* University of Pisa, Italy – recognised as University 1343
* Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic – recognised as University 1348
* University of Florence, Italy – recognised as University 1349
* University of Perpignan – recognised as University 1350
* Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland – recognised as University 1364
* University of Vienna, Austria – recognised as University 1365
* University of Pécs, Hungary – recognised as University 1367
* University of Heidelberg, Germany – recognised as University 1386
* University of Cologne, Germany – recognised as University 1388
* University of Ferrara, Italy – recognised as University 1391 by papal bull
* University of Erfurt, Germany – recognised as University 1392
* University of Zadar, Croatia – recognised as University 1396
* University of Fermo, Italy – recognised as University 1398 by papal bull

Fifteenth century

* University of Würzburg, Germany – recognised as University 1402 by papal bull
* University of Leipzig, Germany – recognised as University 1409
* University of St Andrews, Scotland – recognised as University 1413 by papal bull
* University of Rostock, Germany – recognised as University 1419 by papal bull
* University of Leuven, Belgium – recognised as University 1425
* University of Poitiers, France – recognised as University 1431 by papal bull
* University of Barcelona, Spain – recognised as University 1450
* University of Glasgow, Scotland – recognised as University 1451 by papal bull
* University of Greifswald, Germany – recognised as University 1456
* Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany – founded as university 1457
* University of Basel, Switzerland – recognised as University 1460
* Universitas Istropolitana, Slovakia – recognised as University 1465
* University of Ingolstadt, Germany – recognised as University 1472
* University of Tubingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), Germany – recognised as University 1476
* University of Uppsala, Sweden – recognised as University 1477
* University of Copenhagen, Denmark – recognised as University 1479
* University of Aberdeen, Scotland – recognised as University 1494 (later merger with Marischal College in 1860, itself founded 1593)
* University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain – recognised as University 1495
* University of Alcalà de Henares, Spain – recognised as University 1499
* University of Valencia, Spain – first established 1245, recognised as University 1499

Sixteenth century

* University of Wittenberg, Germany – recognised as University 1502
* University of Seville, Spain – recognised as University 1505 by papal bull - 1551 by city council
*Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany – founded 1527

* Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – recognised as University 1538
* National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico – recognised as University 1551
* National University of San Marcos, Peru – recognised as University 1551
* University of Évora, Portugal – recognised as University 1559
* Université de Genève, Switzerland – recognised as University 1559
* University of Leiden, Netherlands – recognised as University 1575
* University of Vilnius, Lithuania -- recognised as University 1579
* University of Zaragoza, Spain – Teaching started at School of Zaragoza in Century VII, recognised as University 1583 -
* University of Edinburgh, Scotland – recognised as University 1583
* University of Dublin, Ireland – recognised as University 1592

By region

British Isles

* University of Oxford, England – teaching from 1096 recognised as University 1167
* University of Cambridge, England – teaching from 12th Century, recognised as University 1209
* University of Northampton, England – recognised as University 1261 – disbanded 1264
* University of St Andrews, Scotland – recognised as University 1413 by papal bull
* University of Glasgow, Scotland – recognised as University 1451 by papal bull
* University of Aberdeen, Scotland – recognised as University 1494 (later merger with Marischal College in 1860, itself founded 1593)
* University of Edinburgh, Scotland – recognised as University 1583
* University of Dublin, Ireland – recognised as University 1592

France

* University of Paris, France – recognised as University 1150
* University of Toulouse, France – recognised as University 1229
* University of Montpellier, France – recognised as University 1289
* University of Avignon, France – recognised as University 1303
* University of Orléans, France – recognised as University 1306
* University of Cahors – recognised as University 1332
* University of Angers, France – recognised as University 1337
* University of Grenoble – recognised as University 1339
* University of Perpignan – recognised as University 1350

Spain and Portugal

* University of Palencia, Spain – recognised as University 1212
* University of Salamanca, Spain – recognised as University 1218
* University of Valencia, Spain – recognised as University 1245
* University of Valladolid, Spain – recognised as University 1250
* University of Seville, Spain – recognised as University 1254
* University of Coimbra, Portugal – recognised as University 1290 (in Lisbon, moved to Coimbra 1308)
* University of Lleida, Spain – recognised as University 1300
* University of Barcelona, Spain – recognised as University 1450
* University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain – recognised as University 1495
* University of Alcalà de Henares, Spain – recognised as University 1499
* University of Seville, Spain – recognised as University 1505 by papal bull - 1551 by city council
* University of Évora, Portugal – recognised as University 1559
* University of Zaragoza, Spain – Teaching started at School of Zaragoza in Century VII, recognised as University 1583 -

Scandinavia

* University of Uppsala, Sweden – recognised as University 1477
* University of Copenhagen, Denmark – recognised as University 1479

Central Europe

* Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic – recognised as University 1348
* Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland – recognised as University 1364
* University of Vienna, Austria – recognised as University 1365
* University of Pécs, Hungary – recognised as University 1367
* University of Heidelberg, Germany – recognised as University 1386
* University of Cologne, Germany – recognised as University 1388
* University of Erfurt, Germany – recognised as University 1392
* University of Zadar, Croatia – recognised as University 1396
* University of Würzburg, Germany – recognised as University 1402 by papal bull
* University of Leipzig, Germany – recognised as University 1409
* University of Rostock, Germany – recognised as University 1419 by papal bull
* University of Leuven, Belgium – recognised as University 1425
* University of Greifswald, Germany – recognised as University 1456
* University of Basel, Switzerland – recognised as University 1460
* Bosnian Church University, Visoko, Bosnia – recognised as University 1175 - disbanded 1463
* University of Bratislava (Universitas Istropolitana), Slovakia – recognised as University 1465
* University of Ingolstadt, Germany – recognised as University 1472
* University of Tubingen (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen), Germany – recognised as University 1476
* University of Wittenberg, Germany – recognised as University 1502
*Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany – founded 1527
* Université de Genève, Switzerland – recognised as University 1559
* University of Leiden, Netherlands – recognised as University 1575

Eastern Europe

* University of Constantinople, Byzantine Empire – teaching from 8th Century
* University of Vilnius, Lithuania -- recognised as University 1579
* Ostroh Academy, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth -- was founded in 1576, existed till about 1640

Italy

* University of Bologna, Italy – teaching from 10th Century recognised as University 1088
* University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy – recognised as University 1175
* University of Vicenza, Italy – recognised as University 1204
* University of Arezzo, Italy – recognised as University 1215
* University of Padua, Italy – recognised as University 1222
* University of Naples Federico II, Italy – recognised as University 1224 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
* University of Siena, Italy – recognised as University 1240
* University of Piacenza, Italy – recognised as University 1248
* University of Macerata, Italy – recognised as University 1290
* University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy – recognised as University 1303
* University of Perugia, Italy – recognised as University 1308
* University of Treviso, Italy – recognised as University 1318
* University of Pisa, Italy – recognised as University 1338
* University of Florence, Italy – recognised as University 1349
* University of Pavia, Italy – recognised as University 1361
* University of Ferrara, Italy – recognised as University 1391 by papal bull
* University of Fermo, Italy – recognised as University 1398 by papal bull

Americas

* Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – recognised as University 1538
* National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico – recognised as University 1551
* National University of San Marcos, Peru – recognised as University 1551

References