Queen's University, generally referred to simply as Queen's, is a coeducational, non-sectarian, research intensive, public university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In national and international rankings, Queen's has consistently maintained its status as one of the top universities in Canada and worldwide. The Church of Scotland established Queen's College in 1841 with a royal charter from Queen Victoria. The institution was founded on October 16, 1841, pre-dating the founding of Canada by 26 years. The first classes were held March 7, 1842 with 13 students and 2 professors. Queen's was the first university west of the maritime provinces to admit women, and to form a student government. In 1883, a women's college for medical education was established affiliated with Queen's University. In 1888, Queen's University began offering extension courses, becoming the first Canadian university to do so. Queen's University founders modeled their nascent college after the University of Edinburgh for the Scottish university's tradition of academic freedom, authority, and moral responsibility.