7 Largest Universities in the World


Higher education plays an indispensable part in the survival and richness of human civilization by helping people push their limits and empower themselves. Universities provide countless students with well-rounded knowledge that they use to reach towards a better future.

With so many well-established Universities around the globe, you may be wondering what some of the largest of them are. The sizes of schools and other similar institutions are usually determined by the number of people who attend them. Today we’ll be looking at the largest universities in the world by enrollment and learning a little bit about what sets each one apart from the rest.

  1. Universitas Terbuka

Enrollment: 585,700 students
Location: Indonesia
Year Founded: 1984
Distinguishing Feature:  Open Distance Learning system and extreme flexibility

Universitas Terbuka
Source: wikimedia.org

Universitas Terbuka makes a mission of providing flexible education to those who cannot access traditional, conventional forms of education. This university focuses heavily on Open Distance Learning as a solution, especially for people who live in remote areas. On top of providing remote education for those who need it, Universitas Terbuka provides flexibility in other areas as well, such as their year-round enrollment period and lack of time limitations for course completion and graduation.

Did You Know?

One of the key ways that Universitas Terbuka improves their chances for students’ success is by offering multimedia education materials. This enables students to choose from printed or electronic materials, and from visual or auditory supplements.

  1. State University of New York

Enrollment: 606,232 students
Location: USA
Year Founded: 1948
Distinguishing Feature:  High number of specialized campuses

State University of New York
Source: wikimedia.org

Renowned as the largest comprehensive system of universities and colleges in the United States, the State University of New York boasts an extremely high success rate. This university provides 64 different schools that each give students a unique experience. The accessibility of SUNY is so widespread that 93 percent of all New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a SUNY institution! These numerous and varied campuses are officially divided into four categories: university centers/doctoral-granting institutions, comprehensive colleges, technology colleges, and community colleges.

Did You Know?

SUNY is governed by a State University of New York Board of Trustees, which consists of eighteen members, and is partially financed by the state of New York.

  1. Islamic Azad University

Enrollment: 1,500,000 students
Location: Iran
Year Founded: 1982
Distinguishing Feature:  Formal religious affiliation

Islamic Azad University
Source: wikimedia.org

This Iranian semi-private university system is the largest institution of higher learning in the country and is formally affiliated with the religion of Islam. It maintains 31 state university branches all across Iran, and four more branches in other countries. This college chooses not to rely on government funding, instead getting its income from tuition fees and donations. The Islamic Azad University uses the National Wide Entrance Examination to test those who hope to attend.

Did You Know?

“Higher education for all” is the key objective of the Islamic Azad University. This university uses its own individual style of entrance exam rather than the cookie-cutter standard for students to take.

  1. Allama Iqbal Open University

Enrollment: 1,121,038 students
Location: Pakistan
Year Founded: 1974
Distinguishing Feature:  Distance education and a high number of female students

Allama Iqbal Open University
Source: wikimedia.org

Located in Islamabad, the Allama Iqbal Open University features 44 regional campuses and centers throughout Pakistan. It is the first Distance Education University in South Asia. It uses high accessibility and comparatively lower rates to make higher education available to citizens with lower income. Additionally, online education is offered for increasingly lower prices, or even for free to those who need it. Allama Iqbal Open University puts a special focus on women’s education, striving to provide women with access to education that they can schedule around their busy lives.

Did You Know?

The Allama Iqbal Open University was the first Open University to be established in Asia and Africa.

  1. Anadolu University

Enrollment: 1,969,733 students
Location: Turkey
Year Founded: 1958
Distinguishing Feature:  High academic standard and selective registration acceptance

Anadolu University
Source: wikimedia.org

Located in Eskişehir, Turkey, the Anadolu University strives to maintain a high quality of education and student grades. Highly selective applications and a strong reputation for academic excellence ensure that a certain standard of quality is met. This non-profit higher education institution channels a lot of focus into science, information gathering and research, and innovation.

Did You Know?

Anadolu University was actually created by combining four existing higher education institutes in Eskişehir: a medical school, the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences of Eskişehir, the State Academy of Architecture and Engineering, and the Institute of Education.

  1. National University of Bangladesh

Enrollment: 2,097,182 students
Location: Bangladesh
Year Founded: 1992
Distinguishing Feature:  Located at the outskirts of Dhaka

National University of Bangladesh
Source: wikimedia.org

Located in Gazipur, the National University of Bangladesh focuses especially on making higher education accessible to rural and semi-rural students. Its close proximity to Dhaka makes it easy for city-dwelling citizens to attend as well, and it strives to offer the best and most current education to its students. In addition to the University Headquarters in Gazipur, six other Regional Centers work in conjunction with one another to keep the education system thriving.

Did You Know?

The National University of Bangladesh was established by an Act of Parliament with the intention of making higher education more commonly available to the people of Bangladesh.

  1. Indira Gandhi National Open University

Enrollment: 4,000,000 students
Location: India
Year Founded: 1985
Distinguishing Feature:  Central University and distance education

Indira Gandhi National Open University
Source: wikimedia.org

Indira Gandhi National Open University is the largest university in the world by enrollment. “IGNOU” for short, this central university can be found at Maidan Garhi in New Delhi, the capital of India. IGNOU was established for the purpose of increasing accessibility to higher education for all members of society. The university operates with a strong focus on opening their doors to all students and and raising the bar for citizens in terms of distance education and campus class quality.

Did You Know?

IGNOU places special importance upon helping disadvantaged segments of society. It assists those in need by providing flexible course access when possible and putting on programs for minorities that empower and educate.


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