Full list: Top 10 oldest universities in Africa

Dorcas Agambila 12:50 - 01 September 2026

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University of South Africa (Unisa) — South Africa

Africa is home to some of the world's oldest centres of learning, with several institutions tracing their origins back more than a thousand years.

Africa is home to some of the world’s oldest centres of higher learning, with Ez-Zitouna University, Al-Qarawiyyin and Al-Azhar tracing their educational histories back more than 1,000 years.
Fourah Bay College and the University of Cape Town are among the oldest Western-style higher-education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, with origins dating to 1827 and 1829 respectively.
The definition of “oldest university” depends on whether the founding of a teaching institution or its later formal university status is used, making historical context important when ranking these institutions.

However, there is an important distinction between ancient centres of higher learning, universities in the modern sense, and institutions that later acquired university status. For example, Al-Qarawiyyin and Al-Azhar began as centres of Islamic scholarship, while Fourah Bay College was founded as a Western-style institution in the 19th Century.

Based on the documented founding dates and institutional histories, here are some of Africa's oldest universities and higher-education institutions.

1. Ez-Zitouna University — Tunisia

Founded: 737 AD

Ez-Zitouna University traces its educational history to the Great Mosque of Ez-Zitouna in Tunis.

According to the university's official history, the mosque was founded in 734 AD, while teaching in Islamic sciences began there around 737 AD. The institution describes Ez-Zitouna as the oldest Arab-Islamic university to have continued its educational role for nearly 13 centuries.

Its long-standing focus has been Islamic scholarship, including religious sciences and jurisprudence.

Ez-Zitouna University

2. University of al-Qarawiyyin — Morocco

Founded: 859 AD

University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez is among the most historically significant educational institutions in Africa.

UNESCO identifies Fez as home to the world's oldest university, while UNESCO historical material dates al-Qarawiyyin to 859 AD.

The institution developed around the al-Qarawiyyin mosque and became an important centre of Islamic learning, attracting scholars from across North Africa and beyond.

University of al-Qarawiyyin — Morocco

3. Al-Azhar University — Egypt

Founded: 970 AD

Al-Azhar University has been a major centre of Islamic scholarship for more than a millennium.

Al-Azhar's official history places the foundation of the mosque in 970 AD, with the building opening for prayers in 972. Teaching activities developed soon afterwards, with formal scholarly circles established during the 10th Century.

Today, Al-Azhar remains one of the world's most influential institutions for Islamic learning and also offers education across a broad range of academic disciplines.

Al-Azhar University — Egypt

4. Fourah Bay College — Sierra Leone

Founded: 1827

Fourah Bay College was established on 18 February 1827 by the Church Missionary Society.

The University of Sierra Leone describes it as the first Western-style university in sub-Saharan Africa. It was initially established to train teachers and missionaries and later became a degree-granting institution through its affiliation with Durham University in 1876.

Fourah Bay College subsequently became part of the University of Sierra Leone in 1967.

Fourah Bay College — Sierra Leone

5. University of Cape Town — South Africa

Founded: 1829

University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa.

Its origins date to 1829, when the South African College was established in Cape Town. The institution initially combined secondary and tertiary education before gradually developing into a university. UCT was formally established as a fully fledged university in 1918.

This distinction is important: 1829 refers to UCT's institutional roots, while 1918 marks the establishment of the university in its modern form.

University of Cape Town

6. University of Liberia — Liberia

Founded: 1862

University of Liberia traces its history to Liberia College, founded in 1862.

The institution became a full university in 1951 and is today a public university funded mainly by the Liberian government.

Its history makes it one of the oldest institutions of higher education in West Africa.

University of Liberia — Liberia

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7. University of South Africa (Unisa) — South Africa

Founded: 1873

University of South Africa has roots stretching back to the University of the Cape of Good Hope, established in 1873.

According to Unisa's official history, it was created as an examining institution rather than a teaching university. It was renamed the University of South Africa in 1916 and later evolved into the distance-learning institution it is today.

Its history spans more than 150 years, making it one of Africa's oldest higher-education institutions still operating.

University of South Africa (Unisa) — South Africa

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8. Stellenbosch University — South Africa

Origins: 1866; university established in 1918

Stellenbosch University has its origins in the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, established in 1866.

The institution later became Victoria College in 1887 before becoming Stellenbosch University in 1918

This means the university's educational roots are older than its formal university status.

Stellenbosch University – South Africa

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9. Cairo University — Egypt

Founded: 1908

Cairo University began as the Egyptian University in 1908.

The university was inaugurated on 21 December 1908 as a private national university before the Egyptian government reorganised it as a state university in 1925.

It has since developed into one of Egypt's leading universities, with faculties spanning the humanities, sciences, medicine, engineering and other disciplines.

The American University in Cairo

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10. Makerere University — Uganda

Founded: 1922

Makerere University began in 1922 as a technical school with just 14 day students studying carpentry, building and mechanics.

It subsequently expanded its programmes, became a university college affiliated with the University of London in 1949 and eventually became an independent university in 1970. ([Makerere University][9])

Makerere now ranks among Africa's best-known and most established universities.

Makerere University — Uganda

The ranking changes depending on whether "oldest" means the date an institution began teaching, the date it was founded, the date it became a degree-granting institution, or the date it received formal university status. That is why this list distinguishes institutional origins from modern university status rather than treating every founding date as equivalent.