Location: Fez, Morocco Established: 859 About: The University of Al Quaraouiyine is the oldest existing, continually operating and the first degree-awarding educational institution in the world according to UNESCO and Guinness World Records.
Location: USA Established: 1636 About: It was named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, who left his library and half his estate to the institution when he died in 1638. The private Ivy League institution has connections to more than 45 Nobel laureates, over 30 heads of state, and 48 Pulitzer prizewinners.
Location: Bologna, Italy Established: 1088 About: The University of Bologna (UNIBO) is a public university and is the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world.
Location: Oxford, England Established: 1096 About: When people think about prestigious universities in the UK, the University of Oxford and its long-standing tradition and centuries of history is quick to come to mind.
Location: Salamanca, Spain Established: 1134 About: The University of Salamanca is a public university that is an important centre for the study of humanities. It is particularly well known for its language studies and courses in law and economics.
Location: Paris, France Established: 1160 About: The University of Paris was a university that was internationally highly reputed for its academic performance in the humanities ever since the Middle Ages – notably in theology and philosophy.
Location:Cambridge, England Established: 1209 About:You’ll see the university’s police force in their traditional cloak and hat uniform and students wearing sub fusc, gowns with a dark suit and white shirt or blouse, but the University of Cambridge is most notably a public research university whose history and influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Location: Padua, Italy Established: 1222 About: The University of Padua is a public university in a city known for frescoes, beautiful arcaded streets, and stylish cafes that are frequented by students. The institute now plays a role in scholarly and scientific research both at the European and world level.
Location: USA Established: 1885 About: The university is organized around seven schools on the same campus: three schools consisting of 40 academic departments at the undergraduate level as well as four professional schools that focus on graduate programs in law, medicine, education, and business.
Location: USA Established: 1890 About: the University of Chicago scholars have played a major role in the development of many academic disciplines, including economics, law, literary criticism, mathematics, physics, religion, sociology, and political science, establishing the Chicago schools in various fields.