University of Iceland
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About University of Iceland
The University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands) has its main campus around Suðurgata in central Reykjavík, south of Tjörnin. It was founded on 17 June 1911 with four faculties (theology, medicine, law and philosophy) and 45 students, only one of them a woman. Today it is a comprehensive university organised into five schools: Education, Engineering and Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, with around 14,000 students.
For its first 29 years the university had no home of its own and held classes in the Parliament House, Alþingishúsið, on Austurvöllur. It moved into the Main Building (Aðalbygging) on Suðurgata in 1940; the building was designed by the state architect Guðjón Samúelsson and consecrated on 17 June 1940, Iceland's national day. It remains the university's best-known building.
The campus is a working university rather than a visitor attraction, so there is no entrance fee, guided tour or visitor centre. You can walk freely through the grounds and past the Main Building, and the University Centre (Háskólatorg), opened in 2007, is the student hub. The main reason for many travellers to come here is the World in Words exhibition at Edda, Arngrímsgata 5, run by the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Opened in November 2024, it displays medieval Icelandic manuscripts of sagas, poetry and Norse mythology, rotated every three months for conservation, with interactive displays and a café. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00; check the exhibition's own site for ticket prices.
The campus is an easy walk from the city centre, and the Nordic House and the National Museum of Iceland are right beside it, so it fits well into a walking day around Tjörnin. Term-time weekdays are the busiest; summer and weekends are quieter for a stroll.
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Good to know
When was the University of Iceland founded?
It was founded on 17 June 1911 and spent its first 29 years in the Parliament House before moving to the Main Building on Suðurgata in 1940.
Can tourists visit the University of Iceland?
Yes, the campus grounds are open to walk around free of charge, but it is a working university with no visitor centre or organised tours.
Where can I see medieval Icelandic manuscripts in Reykjavík?
The World in Words exhibition at Edda, Arngrímsgata 5, shows medieval manuscripts from the Árni Magnússon Institute and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00.
Who designed the University of Iceland Main Building?
The Main Building (Aðalbygging) was designed by the state architect Guðjón Samúelsson and completed in 1940.
How many students does the University of Iceland have?
It has around 14,000 students across five schools.
What is near the University of Iceland?
The Nordic House and the National Museum of Iceland are next to the campus, and Tjörnin lake is a short walk north.
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