University Age Calculator

University age is calculated from the founding year to the current year. Founding years are sourced from Wikidata, government records, and official university websites. Note that some universities have complex histories with predecessor institutions, mergers, or refounding dates.

The University of Bologna (Italy), founded in 1088, is widely considered the oldest continuously operating university in the world. Other ancient universities include the University of Oxford (c. 1096-1167), University of Salamanca (1218), University of Padua (1222), and University of Naples Federico II (1224).

While many of the world's top-ranked universities are centuries old, age alone does not determine quality. Many newer institutions like KAIST (1971), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (1991), and KAUST (2009) have achieved global recognition rapidly through focused investment and research excellence.