Naresuan University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยนเรศวร) is a government sponsored university in Phitsanulok, northern Thailand. It was established as a separate university on July 29, 1990, which was the 400th anniversary of the start of the reign of Phitsanulok-born King Naresuan the Great. A courtyard with a statue of King Naresuan is located on the grounds and the students regularly pay their respects before it. The university has about 20,000 full time students. On January 18, 1964, the Royal Thai Ministry of Education resolved to create a branch of the College of Education (in Bangkok) for teacher training in each region of the country. On January 25, 1967, the Phitsanulok campus was established as the fourth branch of the College of Education and was meant to serve mainly the northern provinces. In 1974 the College of Education was upgraded to university status and was named Srinakharinwirot University. Originally, only the third and fourth years of university study were offered at Phitsanulok, and students were admitted by competitive examination after completing the curriculum at one of the nation's associate degree level teacher training colleges.