Charles Homer Haskins’s The Rise of Universities is a classic short study of the origins of the university in medieval Europe. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the Middle Ages, Haskins describes how the first universities emerged at Bologna, Paris, and elsewhere, and how the institutions, degrees, and traditions of higher learning that we know today first took shape.
In a brief and engaging compass, the book illuminates the medieval student and professor, the methods of teaching, and the lasting legacy of these early centres of learning. Haskins writes with clarity, wit, and authority. For readers interested in the history of education, the Middle Ages, and the deep roots of the modern university, it remains one of the most readable and influential introductions to the subject.