Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University is one of two public Buddhist universities in Thailand, as well as being the oldest Buddhist university in the nation. It has facilities at Wat Mahathat Yuwaratrangsarit in Bangkok and at Wang Noi in Ayutthaya Province. The university was founded in 1887 by King Chulalongkorn with the purpose of establishing a higher education institute for Buddhist monks, novices, and laypersons with an emphasis on Buddhist studies and other subjects. The university began offering classes in 1889. It adopted its current name in 1896. By bills passed in 1997, both of Thailand's Buddhist universities — MCU and Mahamakut Buddhist University — became public universities.