Oldest Universities in Continuous Operation
These 35 institutions are the source page's pre-1500 list of universities it treats as retaining institutional continuity. The table separates the source's recognized university date from earlier teaching or foundation claims and shows historical and current locations.
The definition follows the medieval European university model, so it excludes older higher-learning traditions and should not be read as a universal ranking of education. Dates may also differ from the foundation year claimed by an institution.
Dataset details
- Table scope
- All 35 rows
- Fields
- 5 columns
- Source
- Wikipedia
- Data updated
- Aug 14, 2026
Included fields: University, Recognized From Year, Source Date, Current Location, Original Location.
The table contains every record in this dataset; the same records are available in each download format.
Preview observations
- Recognized From Year span
- 1180 to 1500
- Across 35 preview rows
- Source Date span
- 1222 to 1500
- Across 23 preview rows
Useful for
- Comparing University, Recognized From Year, and Source Date across education entries
- Building reference tables, charts, or analyses from 35 downloadable records
University↕ | Recognized From Year↕ | Source Date↕ | Current Location↕ | Original Location↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Bologna | 1180 | 1180–1190(teaching from c. 1088) | Bologna, Italy | Kingdom of Italy, Holy Roman Empire |
University of Oxford | 1200 | 1200–1214(teaching from c. 1096) | Oxford, United Kingdom | Kingdom of England |
University of Cambridge | 1209 | 1209–1225 | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Kingdom of England |
University of Salamanca | 1218 | 1218–1219 | Salamanca, Spain | Kingdom of León |
University of Padua | 1222 | 1222 | Padua, Italy | Medieval commune of Padua |
University of Naples Federico II | 1224 | 1224 | Naples, Italy | Kingdom of Sicily |
University of Coimbra | 1290 | 1290 | Coimbra, Portugal | Kingdom of Portugal |
University of Valladolid | 1241 | 1241 (Papal recognition 1346) | Valladolid, Spain | Crown of Castile |
University of Perugia | 1308 | 1308 | Perugia, Italy | Papal States |
Charles University | 1348 | 1348 | Prague, Czech Republic | Kingdom of Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire |
University of Siena | 1357 | 1357(originally 1246–1252) | Siena, Italy | Republic of Siena |
University of Pavia | 1361 | 1361 | Pavia, Italy | Domain of the House of Visconti |
Jagiellonian University | 1364 | 1364 | Kraków, Poland | Kingdom of Poland |
University of Vienna | 1365 | 1365 | Vienna, Austria | Duchy of Austria, Holy Roman Empire |
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg | 1385 | 1385 | Heidelberg, Germany | Electoral Palatinate, Holy Roman Empire |
University of Pisa | 1400 | c. 1400(originally 1343 to c. 1360) | Pisa, Italy | Republic of Pisa |
University of Turin | 1404 | 1404 | Turin, Italy | Duchy of Savoy |
University of Leipzig | 1409 | 1409 | Leipzig, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
University of St. Andrews | 1410 | 1410–1413 | St. Andrews, United Kingdom | Kingdom of Scotland |
University of Rostock | 1419 | 1419 | Rostock, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
University of Ferrara | 1430 | 1430(originally 1391–1394) | Ferrara, Italy | House of Este |
Sapienza University of Rome | 1431 | 1431(originally 1303 to c. 1400) | Rome, Italy | Papal States |
University of Catania | 1444 | 1444 | Catania, Italy | Kingdom of Sicily |
University of Barcelona | 1450 | 1450 | Barcelona, Spain | Crown of Aragon |
University of Glasgow | 1451 | 1451 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | Kingdom of Scotland |
University of Greifswald | 1456 | 1456 | Greifswald, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg | 1457 | 1457 | Freiburg, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
University of Basel | 1459 | 1459 | Basel, Switzerland | Holy Roman Empire |
LMU Munich | 1459 | 1459–1472 | Munich, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
University of Copenhagen | 1475 | 1475–1479 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Kingdom of Denmark within the Kalmar Union |
Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen | 1476 | 1476 | Tübingen, Germany | Holy Roman Empire |
Uppsala University | 1477 | 1477 | Uppsala, Sweden | Kingdom of Sweden within the Kalmar Union |
University of Aberdeen | 1495 | 1495 | Aberdeen, United Kingdom | Kingdom of Scotland |
Complutense University of Madrid | 1499 | 1499 | Madrid, Spain | Crown of Castile |
University of Valencia | 1500 | 1500 | Valencia, Spain | Crown of Aragon |
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Frequently asked questions
How is Oldest Universities in Continuous Operation organized?
The table starts in the source data's default order. You can sort and filter the loaded rows by the displayed fields.
How much data is available on this page?
This dataset contains 35 entries, and every row is available in the table and in the downloadable files.
Can I download the complete dataset?
Yes. CSV, JSON, and Excel downloads contain all 35 rows. Before republishing the data, review the source and any usage terms listed on this page; dtbse does not replace the original source's licensing terms.