What was the first college to be founded in North America, north of Mexico?

Since the University of Santo Domingo (est about 1540, I think) is not north of Mexico, I think Harvard (est. 1636) beats the University of North Carolina (est. 1789), which has claimed to be the oldest in the US. (Sorry, Fuse.)

I have one that beats Harvard.

The École de Langues, Collège Saint-Charles-Garnier was Québec City, founded in 1635 by the Jesuits, is the oldest French college of North America, and is older than Harvard, but it is not what one would consider a college. It is for students 12-17. http://www.collegegarnier.qc.ca/

The Boston Latin School is a public exam (or "magnet") school founded on April 23, 1635, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest school in the United States. Boston Latin is for grades 7-12, which is about the same as the French school.

Since its establishment in 1841 with a royal charter from Queen Victoria, Queen’s University has had a long and rich tradition of academic excellence. Queen’s is Canada’s oldest degree-granting institution and has long enjoyed the reputation as “Canada’s Ivy League” university.

That lets out any Canadian university, if it is correct.

Because these Institutions are (were) run by Roman Catholic Religious,the system is not the same than in the USA, (although USA nor Canada were countries at the time)
For instance there are no "middle school" in Quebec, and you may enter the College at 8th grade and stay until you graduate in 14th grade.(8-9-10-11-12 are high school years, then you graduate) while 13-14 grades are here,in the USA,what they call College.It is now called "CEGEP" overthere (while we called it Collégial then, after you'd graduate again while staying in the same building).I, personnaly studied in one of those "old Colleges" with the Religious Community and graduated at the end. (College De L'Assomption)

By the way those "priests" were living and teaching and dying on the premises.And were buried in the "crypt" of the College.(Until my time at least, 1968-1974,136th Course).

It might have changed recently but we are talking about the 1600,s.

Your source mentions 1635 College of Quebec.(College Garnier is probably the new name)and that is what I was looking for.Source

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mozart,

No problem on UNC-Chapel Hill, DG! It only lays claim to being the oldest public university. The University of Georgia will dispute this. The technicality is that UGa was chartered first (in 1785), but classes started first in Chapel Hill (and not until 1801 at UGa). My own alma mater, Washington & Lee, was founded as Liberty Hall Academy in 1749, besting North Carolina by forty years.