Madrid, University of

the largest higher educational institution in Spain. It was formed in 1836 through a merger of the university at Alcala de Henares, established in 1508 in Madrid Province, and the Central University in Madrid, founded in 1821. Since 1850 it has been called the University of Madrid.

As of 1972 the university had faculties of philosophy and letters, science, law, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, information science, and economics; special schools of psychology and psychotechnics, statistics, stomatology, forensic medicine, practical jurisprudence, correctional and criminal law, comparative law, and sociology; and higher technical schools of architecture, agronomy, aviation engineering, transportation, industry, mining, communications, and naval engineering. In 1972 the university had an enrollment of more than 33,000 and a faculty of 2,200. The university library has more than 700,000 holdings.