The Lebanese University (LU; ) is the only state-funded public university in Lebanon. It was established in 1951.
The university's main campus was originally located in Beirut, but a few satellite campuses were opened due to travel restrictions during the Lebanese Civil War. It has three main campuses: Rafic Hariri Campus, Fanar Campus and North Campus. The Roumieh campus, which features a faculty of engineering, is one of the satellite campuses.
The university currently enrolls thousands of students and is organized into 16 faculties. It offers a range of degree programs, include undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. The primary language of instruction is Arabic.
The creation of the Lebanese University was an idea first mentioned in the speech of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hamid Frangieh, during the closing ceremony of the Third UNESCO Conference in Beirut held on 11 December 1948, during which he said: "Lebanon hopes to see the creation of a Lebanese university having the spirit of UNESCO."
The establishment of the Lebanese University came as a result of a popular and student mobilization initiated on 23 January 1951 with a general strike that lasted for a long period during which, secondary and university students, mostly from Saint Joseph University participated. The movement included demonstrations and clashes with security forces that lead the Council of Ministers to meet on 5 February of the same year.
The campus was bombed by the Israeli Air Force on March 12, 2026, killing two professors, Hussein Bazzi and Mortada Srour.
Since its inception, the Lebanese University has been headed by:
and it has been headed by Bassam Badran since 2021.
The university issued successive decrees since its inception, establishing faculties and institutes, which contributed to its expansion and development until reaching 16 faculties:
In addition to three Doctoral Schools:
The university is also affiliated with the Institute of Applied Sciences and Economics (CNAM-ISAE), which operates in cooperation with CNAM in France.
The university awarded honorary doctorates to a number of heads of state and officials, including in chronological order:
In 2009, the Lebanese University started awarding honorary doctorates to Lebanese personalities.
The Lebanese University is the only public institution in Lebanon carrying out the functions of the public higher education with its various majors and degrees, scientific research, and continuous training.
The Lebanese University is well known for providing low-cost education to citizens; done with cheap tuition fees.
In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the Lebanese University ranks 577 worldwide, a record-high after being placed 701âÂÂ750 in 2021.