Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, chartered in 1661, is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in present-day Ukraine, located in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. It enrolls roughly 11,649 students across 19 faculties and counts mathematician Stefan Banach and jurist Raphael Lemkin among its alumni. As of September 2026, the university continues normal in-person academic operations, including its Academic Council meetings and start-of-year ceremony, though prospective applicants should confirm current conditions directly given the ongoing war. International tuition and living costs are payable in Ukrainian hryvnia, and the university coordinates international admissions through its Centre for International Cooperation alongside Ukraine's national application portal.
The university's charter was granted on 20 January 1661 by King John II Casimir, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in continuous operation in present-day Ukraine. Its alumni include Stefan Banach, a founder of functional analysis, and Raphael Lemkin, the jurist who coined the term 'genocide,' giving the university a specific, checkable claim to producing scholars whose work reshaped their fields. As of September 2026, the university continues to hold in-person academic sessions and formal ceremonies despite Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, reflecting the western Ukrainian city of Lviv's relative distance from the active front lines compared to eastern regions. The university runs its own botanical garden, astronomical observatory, and zoological museum as standing research facilities rather than as add-on features, reflecting nearly two centuries of accumulated scientific infrastructure.
Application deadlines are being updated. Check the official website for current dates.
| Program | Level | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Law | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |
| Applied Mathematics | MASTER | 1-2 YRS |
| Economics | PHD | 3-5 YRS |
| International Relations | MBA | 12-24 MO |
| Philology | BACHELOR | 3-4 YRS |