University of Oxford

The University of Oxford was organized late in the 12th Century, and is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Like most medieval universities, its undergraduate programs are governed entirely by its colleges, which appoint their own masters and enjoy a high degree of independence. The oldest of these, Balliol College, was established in 1263; the second-oldest, Merton College, was established in 1264 A.D. Oxford also has a number of "Permanent Halls," some of which, over the years, have become colleges in their own right; the oldest of these is Blackfriars Hall, founded in 1221.

The University as a whole elected its first Chancellor in 1201, and the masters of its colleges were first recognised as a universitas in 1231.