Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. It traces its origins to the Jesuit Collegium (1608—1661) and Academy (1661—1773), Josephine University (1784—1805), Lviv Lyceum (1805—1817), Franz I University (1817—1918), Jan-Kazimir Lviv University (1919—1939), and Ivan Franko Lviv State University (1939—1999). The main building is situated in the former Galician Diet building. The university’s success is reflected in its rankings. In 2015, it was among the top three universities in Ukraine according to the University Ranking by Academic Performance. As of April 2017, it ranked fourth among Ukrainian universities in the Scopus Scientometric database, with 5,823 publications, 28,547 citations, and a Hirsch index of 50.
Webometrics, a prestigious global ranking of universities, includes Ivan Franko National University among the top three higher education institutions in Ukraine as of January 2018. The university was featured in The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, an esteemed annual publication. In 2022, the QS Quacquarelli Symonds ranking placed Ivan Franko National University at 191st among the best universities in Europe, Central Asia, and developing countries. This placement highlights the university’s academic excellence and growing international reputation.
University’s History
The Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, a cornerstone of Ukrainian and Eastern European education, traces its roots to the 1658 Treaty of Hadiac. The treaty promised the establishment of two higher schools-academies in Ukraine, one in Kyiv and the other to be determined. The Jesuit order, known for its defense of Catholicism, arrived in Lviv in the late 16th century, establishing a high school college in 1608. By 1661, King Jan II Casimir granted the Jesuit college in Lviv university status, allowing it to teach all university disciplines and confer degrees. Despite initial opposition, the Lviv Academy flourished, attracting students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Lviv University underwent significant transformations. Following Galicia’s annexation to the Habsburg Empire in 1772 and the dissolution of Catholic monastic orders, the university acquired the monastery and Trinitarian church buildings. The library, inaugurated in 1784, suffered losses during the 1848 bombardment of Lviv, with only 13,000 books remaining from an original 50,000. In 1805, the institution was converted into a lyceum. In 1787, the “Studium Ruthenum,” a scientific institute teaching in Ukrainian, was established and operated until 1804. Noteworthy educators at the institute included Mykhailo Garasevych and Antin Angelovych.
The university was restored in 1817 with German as the language of instruction. The mid-19th century saw efforts to introduce Ukrainian and Polish languages into the curriculum. In 1849, a Ukrainian language and literature department was established, led by Yakiv Holovatskyi. The university’s student body grew substantially, reaching 3,582 students by the 1906-1907 academic year. In 1923, the university relocated to the former Galician Diet building after it ceased functioning post-World War I.
In the 1870s, Ivan Franko, a renowned Ukrainian thinker, writer, and public figure, studied at Lviv University’s philosophy faculty. In 1894, the university established a department focused on world history, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe, led by Mykhailo Hrushevskyi. Franko sought a position in the Department of Russian Literature but faced opposition from Galicia’s governor, Count Kazimyr Badeny, due to his advocacy for Ukrainian social and national liberation. In 1940, the Lviv State University was renamed Ivan Franko University by decree of the Ukrainian SSR Supreme Council Presidium. Presently, the university hosts one of Ukraine’s prominent French studies programs.
University Today
In October 1999, Ivan Franko Lviv State University attained national status. As of May 2017, the university engaged 1,892 scientific and pedagogical staff in research, including 214 doctors of science and 1,152 candidates of science. It had 161 full-time employees in the research department, with 8 doctors of sciences and 50 candidates of sciences. The university boasts 144 departments, with 95 headed by doctors of science and 46 by candidates of science. The student body in April 2017 comprised 19,770 individuals, with 19,050 enrolled in 19 faculties and 720 in colleges. There were 16,314 full-time students (15,709 at faculties and 605 at colleges) and 3,843 part-time students.
Faculties
- Biological;
- Geographical;
- Geological;
- Economic;
- Electronics and Computer Technologies;
- Journalists;
- Foreign Languages;
- Historical;
- Culture and Arts;
- International Relations;
- Mechanical and Mathematical;
- Pedagogical Education;
- Applied Mathematics and Computer Science;
- Financial and Business Management;
- Physical;
- Philological;
- Philosophical;
- Chemical;
- Law.
Accommodation
Student accommodation at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv comprises various housing options to meet the diverse needs of its student body. The university offers dormitories equipped with essential amenities, including beds, bedside tables, tables, and chairs. Each dormitory features comfortable common areas, kitchens, sanitary facilities, study rooms, and recreational spaces. Priority for dormitory placement is given to out-of-town students from underprivileged backgrounds, international students, and student families. Other students access dormitory accommodations based on availability, with preference given to those from low-income families. With seven dormitories on campus, totaling 2,800 beds, the university ensures adequate living conditions for its students. The accommodations foster a conducive environment for academic pursuits promoting a vibrant student life experience.