University of Santiago de Compostela

The University of Santiago de Compostela is a public university in the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela. In Lugo, Galicia, there is a second campus. It is one of the world's oldest continuously operating universities.

The university dates back to 1495, when a school in Santiago was founded. The foundation of a university in Santiago was sanctioned by Pope Julius II in 1504, but "the bull for its creation was not granted by Clement VII until 1526." With the support of Cardinal Juan lvarez de Toledo, the institute began to distance itself from solely religious education in 1555 and began to work on establishing other academic subjects, particularly burgeoning science fields.

The University of Santiago de Compostela's facilities now span approximately 130 hectares (320 acres). In terms of human resources, the institution has over 2,000 teachers engaged in research and study, over 42,000 students, and over 1,000 administrative and support staff. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education awarded USC the designation of Campus of International Excellence in 2009, recognizing it as one of Spain's most distinguished universities.

Established: 1495