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Top 10 Oldest Universities Still Operating

The oldest universities in the world, by founding year.

  • Updated 1 h ago
  • 📏 Ranked by founded
  • 🔄 Refreshed monthly
  • 📚 Source: Wikidata

  1. Ez-Zitouna University

    Tunisia

    737

    No change

  2. Vikramaśīla University

    India

    800

    No change

  3. University of al-Qarawiyyin

    Morocco

    859

    No change
  1. 4Hunan UniversityPeople's Republic of China976No change
  2. 5Sankore MadrasahMali988No change
  3. 6Isfahan University of Medical SciencesIran1024No change
  4. 7Heiligenkreuz AbbeyAustria1101No change
  5. 8University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaItaly1175No change
  6. 9University of PaduaItaly1222No change
  7. 10Al-Mustansiriya UniversityIraq1227No change
See the full top 50
  1. 11University of SienaItaly1240No change
  2. 12University of PerugiaItaly1308No change
  3. 13University of FlorenceItaly1321No change
  4. 14Al-Jameatul Arabiatul Islamia ZiriBangladesh1328No change
  5. 15Charles UniversityCzech Republic1348No change
  6. 16Lorestan UniversityIran1356No change
  7. 17Islamic Azad University of ShahrekordIran1362No change
  8. 18Jagiellonian UniversityPoland1364No change
  9. 19University of ViennaAustria1365No change
  10. 20Kurdistan University of Medical SciencesIran1365No change
  11. 21Jamia Qurania Arabia LalbaghBangladesh1370No change
  12. 22University of FerraraItaly1391No change
  13. 23University of ZadarCroatia1396No change
  14. 24University of TurinItaly1404No change
  15. 25University of CataniaItaly1434No change
  16. 26Gunma University of Social WelfareJapan1449No change
  17. 27University of ValenceFrance1452No change
  18. 28Zawiya Thaalibia (Algiers)1460No change
  19. 29University of BourgesFrance1463No change
  20. 30Uppsala UniversitySweden1477No change
  21. 31University of GenoaItaly1481No change
  22. 32Estudi General Lul·liàSpain1483No change
  23. 33University of UrbinoItaly1506No change
  24. 34Alasmarya Islamic UniversityLibya1506No change
  25. 35University of TokajHungary1531No change
  26. 36University of DebrecenHungary1538No change
  27. 37Debrecen Reformed Theological UniversityHungary1538No change
  28. 38University of ZaragozaSpain1542No change
  29. 39University of OñatiSpain1545No change
  30. 40Trinity CollegeUnited Kingdom1546No change
  31. 41University of MessinaItaly1548No change
  32. 42Lutheran Theological UniversityHungary1557No change
  33. 43University of DouaiFrance1559No change
  34. 44University of SassariItaly1562No change
  35. 45Ghislieri CollegeItaly1567No change
  36. 46Colégio dos Jesuítas do FunchalPortugal1570No change
  37. 47Accademia di Belle Arti di PerugiaItaly1573No change
  38. 48Leiden UniversityNetherlands1575No change
  39. 49Reformed Academy in GhentCalvinist Republic of Ghent1577No change
  40. 50Xi'an University of Finance and EconomicsPeople's Republic of China1579No change

How this list is ranked

Inception date (P571) of institutions classed as universities on Wikidata, oldest first.

Data from Wikidata, refreshed monthly. Arrows show how each entry moved since the previous update.

Sources

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