University of Toulouse


The University of Toulouse is a public research university, based in Toulouse, France. Originally it was established in 1229, making it one of the earliest universities to emerge in Europe. Suppressed during the French Revolution in 1793, it was refounded in 1896 as part of the reorganization of higher education. It was finally abolished in 1969, giving birth to the three universities: Toulouse 1 Capitole University, University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès and Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University. On January 1, 2023, the Toulouse university system takes the name of Université de Toulouse, which it transfers on January 1, 2025 to the Toulouse-III - Paul Sabatier University, which chooses to adopt it.
In particular, the University of Toulouse is the leader of the university system with which it is associated, along with the Toulouse Capitole University and the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès. This development, strongly desired by the elected officials of the Occitania region and Toulouse Métropole, aims to give greater visibility to Toulouse higher education in international rankings.
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History

Origins

The formation of the University of Toulouse was imposed on Count Raymond VII as a part of the Treaty of Paris in 1229 ending the crusade against the Albigensians. As he was suspected of sympathizing with the heretics, Raymond VII had to finance the teaching of theology. Bishop Foulques de Toulouse was among the founders of the university. Among its first lecturers were Jean de Garlande and Roland of Cremona. Other faculties were added later. Initially, the university was located in the center of the city, together with the ancestors of student residences, the colleges.

Split of the University of Toulouse

In 1969, the University of Toulouse split into three separate universities and numerous specialised institutions of higher education. The three universities are: Toulouse 1 Capitole University, University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès and Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University.

Attempts at refoundation, with the university system

The university system was founded on 27 March 2007. It no longer represented a single university, it was the collective entity which federated the universities and institutions of higher education in Toulouse region. With more than 100,000 students, Midi-Pyrénées is the fifth-largest university area in France.
The current university system was created as a ComUE according to the 2013 Law on Higher Education and Research (France), effective on July 1, 2015. It replaced the pôle de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur which had been organized in 2007 to coordinate higher education and research in the region.
In 2021, Patrick Lévy conducted an audit of the university site, which proposed changes. In 2022, this process led to the evolution of the institution towards the status of an experimental ComUE. On January 1, 2023, the Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées became the University of Toulouse.

2025: refoundation of the University of Toulouse

On January 1, 2025, the Université de Toulouse university system became the Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse when the Toulouse-III - Paul Sabatier University adopted the name Université de Toulouse. The experimental public institution Université de Toulouse is created to replace the Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier University, with the Purpan Engineering School as a graduate school.

Research

The following list is not exhaustive.

University rankings

Major fields of study

The University of Toulouse provides a diverse array of academic programs, encompassing licence, master's, and doctoral degrees across a wide spectrum of disciplines, such as science, engineering, health sciences, and sports-related fields.

Faculty

Notable alumni