What is the oldest university in Britain?

The University of Oxford was the first university to be established in Britain. Dating from the 12th century, it is organised as a federation of colleges which are governed by their own teaching staff known as 'fellows'. The oldest college, University College, was founded in 1249. Other notable colleges include All Souls (founded in 1438), Christ church (founded in 1546 by Cardinal Wolsey), the college chapel of which is also Oxford Cathedral, and Lady Margaret Hall (founded in 1878), which was the first.

Today Oxford University is made up of 35 separate colleges, of which two are for women students only, and the rest take both men and women.

In 1208, scholars running away from riots in Oxford set up the first academic community in Cambridge. The University is also organised as a federation of colleges; the oldest, Peterhouse, dates from 1284. The largest college, Trinity, was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546.

Scotland also boasts a number of long-established universities. By the end of the Middle Ages Scotland had four universities at Edinburgh (founded 1583), Glasgow (founded 1450), Aberdeen (founded 1494) and St Andrew's (founded 1411) compared to England's two!

The University of Wales was founded in 1893. It consists of six colleges, the oldest one being St David's University College in Lampeter, founded in 1822.

Queen's University, Belfast was founded in 1845 as Queen's College, Belfast, part of the Queen's University of Ireland which had other colleges at Cork and Galway. It received its charter as a separate university in 1908.