High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Université Laval is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French. Its main campus is located in Quebec City, Quebec, the capital of the province, on the outskirts of the historic city. According to the university's website, Laval is ranked among the top ten Canadian universities in terms of research funding. It is classified as a Medical-Doctoral university for its medical school and extensive graduate population. The origins of the university are the Séminaire de Québec founded in 1663 by François de Laval, the first bishop of New France. The Séminaire de Québec was granted a Royal Charter on December 8, 1852, by Queen Victoria, creating Université Laval with 'the rights and privileges of a university'.