This is a list of universities in the United Kingdom by the date of their foundation as universities.
In many cases the supposed date of foundation as a university is open to debate, particularly for the ancient universities. Modern universities have seen similar debate, with some universities having a heritage as educational institutions that pre-dates their current foundation or recognition as a university by over a hundred years, e.g. the use of 'Est 1824' on the University of Manchester logo, reflecting the initial foundations of the Manchester Mechanics' Institute and the Manchester Royal School of Medicine in that year, despite the current foundation having been established (by the merger of two existing universities) in 2004. For the modern (post 1800) universities, the date of achieving university status (by royal charter, act of parliament, order in council, or decision of Companies House) is given. Former universities with extant successor institutions in the UK are given in italics.
Ancient universities
Until the nineteenth century there were only two successful long-term university establishments in England and five in Scotland (including two in Aberdeen, see below). This excludes other attempts to establish medieval studia in Northampton, which received migrations of scholars from Oxford in 1238, Cambridge in 1260 (encouraged by a royal charter in 1261) and Oxford again in 1263, but was then closed by royal decree in 1265, Salisbury, which similarly received a migration from Oxford in 1238 and was still in existence in 1278 but vanished by 1300, and in Stamford from 1333 to 1335, none of which ever attained recognition as a university, and Cromwell's New College, Durham, which existed from 1653-1660 but was not granted degree-awarding powers after opposition from Oxford and Cambridge and was closed at the restoration of the monarchy.
Name Country Date of foundation Motto Notes University of Oxford England 1200–1214 Dominus illuminatio mea(The Lord is my light)The earliest record of teaching in Oxford is from the late 11th century, with schools established by the mid-12th century. These organised into a university from , with statutes given by a legatine charter in 1214. University by ancient usage. Earliest royal charter, sometimes referred to as the Magna Carta of the university, 1244. University of Cambridge England 1209–1226 Hinc lucem et pocula sacra (From here, light and sacred draughts) University by ancient usage. Earliest royal charter (1231) of any UK university. University of St Andrews Scotland 1410 – 1413 ΑΙΕΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝ(Ever to Excel) Foundation as a university by papal bull in 1413, after teaching began in 1410 and the institute was incorporated by a charter of Bishop Henry Wardlaw in 1411. The university uses 1413 as its date of foundation. Royal Charter in 1532. University of Glasgow Scotland 1451 Via, Veritas, Vita(The way, the truth, the life) Founded by papal bull issued 7 January 1451. Note this is 1450 Old Style, which is the year given in some sources. Royal Charter 1453. University of Aberdeen Scotland 1495–1505 Initium sapientiae timor domini(The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord) Founded by papal bull in 1495 and a charter from Bishop William Elphinstone in 1505 as King's College, Aberdeen, with the status of a university. A royal charter was also issued in 1495. The university uses 1495 as its date of foundation. Merged with Marischal College (founded 1593) by act of parliament to form the University of Aberdeen in 1860, explicitly maintaining the precedence of King's College. University of Edinburgh Scotland 1583 Edinburgh Town Council granted a royal charter by James VI in April 1582 as the first college established by secular authorities in Scotland. Instruction began in October 1583. Attempts in the 17th century to gain a royal charter for the university itself (as opposed to the town council) failed due to the overthrow of James II and VII. Incorporated and made independent by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858. Marischal CollegeScotland 1593 to 1860 Founded by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, later confirmed by act of parliament. Merged into the University of Aberdeen in 1860.
Nineteenth-century universities No new universities were successfully founded in England or Scotland after 1600 until the nineteenth century, although the eighteenth century saw the establishment of a number of dissenting academies, medical schools such as St George's (1733) and the London Hospital Medical College (1785), and the Royal Veterinary College (1791).
Name University status Motto Notes Durham University 1832 Fundamenta eius super montibus sanctis(Her foundations are upon the holy hills) Given university status from Durham University Act 1832 rather than the later 1837 royal charter. University of London 1836 First British university to be founded via a charter of incorporation, with King's College and University College as founding colleges. See below Queen's University of Ireland 1850 to 1882 Founded as the university of the three "Queen's Colleges" of Belfast, Cork, and Galway, all established 1845. These colleges survive today as Queen's University Belfast, University College Cork and NUI Galway. Royal University of Ireland 1880 to 1909 Established on the model of the University of London; the successor to the Queen's University of Ireland, comprising the three Queen's Colleges, as well as Magee College, University College Dublin, Catholic University Medical School, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth and Blackrock College. Dissolved in 1909, replaced by the National University of Ireland and Queen's University Belfast. Victoria University 1880 to 1903 Olim armis nunc studiis(Formerly by weapons, now by studies) Federal university with its seat in Manchester, comprising colleges in Manchester (1880–1903), Liverpool (1884–1903) and Leeds (1887–1903). Merged with Owen's College, Manchester to form the Victoria University of Manchester in 1903. Current successor institute is the University of Manchester University of Wales 1893 Goreu Awen Gwirionedd(The best inspiration is truth) See below
The University of Wales and the Victoria University were founded as federal universities incorporating earlier colleges and the University of London was founded as an examination board (becoming a federal university in 1900). The federal universities are discussed further below.
The Andersonian Institute, a precursor of the University of Strathclyde, was established in 1796 and used the title Anderson's University between 1828 and 1887, but the University of Strathclyde did not receive a royal charter granting university status until 1964. Similarly, University College London used the title London University without being granted university status from 1826 to 1836. Both St Patrick's College, Maynooth (from 1896) and the Catholic University of Ireland (1854–1911) were universities by Papal Bull but were never recognised as such by the British state.
Civic universities These universities were distinguished by being non-collegiate (and thus, at the time, non-residential) institutions founded as university colleges that admitted men without reference to religion and concentrated on imparting to their students "real-world" skills, often linked to engineering. All were established as universities by royal charter, with an accompanying act of Parliament to transfer the property and assets of the university college to the newly incorporated university. As this article lists universities by date of foundation, this section lists only the universities that gained their status in the period 1900–1959. There are some institutions generally regarded as civic universities and sharing many elements of common history with these universities that gained university status later than this (e.g. Newcastle in 1963 or Cardiff in 2005); these are listed under the appropriate time period.
First wave of civic universities
The large civic "redbrick" universities all gained official university status before the First World War. The term was first coined by a professor at the University of Liverpool to describe these universities, inspired by the university's Victoria Building which is built from a distinctive red pressed brick. All of the redbrick institutions in Great Britain have origins dating back to older medical or engineering colleges which prepared students for University of London external examination; many were also members of the federal Victoria University for a period.
Name University status Motto Notes University of Birmingham 1900 Per ardua ad alta(Through efforts to heights) The first civic university to be awarded full university status and the first unitary (not collegiate or federal) university in England. Formed following the merge of Mason Science College (founded 1875) and Queen's College, Birmingham (founded 1828). Victoria University of Manchester 1903 Arduus ad solem(Striving towards the sun) From merger of Owen's College (constituent college of the Victoria University from 1880) and the Victoria University. Merged with UMIST in 2004 to form the University of Manchester. University of Liverpool 1903 Haec otia studia fovent(These days of peace foster learning) Formerly a constituent college of the Victoria University from 1884. University of Leeds 1904 Et augebitur scientia(And knowledge will be increased) Formerly a constituent college of the Victoria University from 1887. University of Sheffield 1905 Rerum cognoscere causas(To discover the causes of things) Queen's University Belfast 1908 Pro tanto quid retribuamus(For so much, what shall we give back?) Founded in 1845–50 as Queen's College, Belfast; part of the Queen's University of Ireland 1850–1880 and the Royal University of Ireland 1880–1908. University of Bristol 1909 Vim promovet insitam([Learning] promotes one's innate power) Founded in 1876 as University College, Bristol and (from 1893) incorporating the Bristol Medical School, founded in 1833
Second wave of civic universities The second wave of civic universities differed from the later "plate glass universities" in that they all evolved from local university colleges founded before the Second World War and all prepared students for external University of London examinations before being granted full university status. They are distinguished from the "red brick" universities only by their date of foundation as universities, and are often classed together.
Name University status Motto Notes University of Reading 1926 Developed from University College Reading, founded by Christ Church, Oxford as an extension college in 1892. Students could take Oxford degrees after completing their courses at Reading with only one year of residence. University of Nottingham 1948 Sapientia urbs conditur(A city is built on wisdom) Developed from University College Nottingham, founded in 1881. University of Southampton 1952 Strenuis ardua cedunt(The heights yield to endeavour) Developed from the Hartley Institute (Hartley University College from 1902). University of Hull 1954 Lampada ferens(Bearing the torch [of learning]) Developed from University College Hull, which prepared students for University of London external examinations founded in 1927. University of Exeter 1955 Lucem sequimur(We follow the light) Developed from University College of the South West of England, founded in 1922, an external college of the University of London; traces its origins back to Exeter School of Art, founded in 1855. University of Leicester 1957 Ut vitam habeant(So that they may have life) Developed from Leicestershire and Rutland University College, founded in 1921 (University College, Leicester from 1927)
1960s universities