World History 71: Which Universities were founded in the Middle Ages?

Several of Europe’s top universities have their origins as institutions of higher learning in the Middle Ages. They were largely focused on theology and Medicine and catered to a student core from a wide area. Many universities were independent of local civil authorities and while some were associated with the church this was not always the case. University charters were often granted by the Pope or the Holy Roman Emperor. The teachers were known as Masters

The ten oldest universities in Europe and the year/s that they were founded are outlined below. Foundation years can precede charters by well over a century.

1. Bologna (1000 – charter 1158)
2. Paris (1045 – charter 1200)
3. Oxford (1096 – charter 1248)
4. Vicenza (1204)
5. Cambridge (1209)
6. Palencia (1212)
7. Salamanca (1218)
8. Padua (1222)
9. Naples (1224)
10. Toulouse (1229)