The University of Antioquia (Spanish: Universidad de Antíoquia), also called UdeA, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia. It is the largest higher education institution by student population in the northwest of the country, and the second in Colombia, with more than 34,096 students. The university was established by a Royal Decree of February 9, 1801 under the name of Franciscan College (Spanish: Colegio de Franciscanos), by King Charles IV of Spain, and started its operation in 1803 under the direction of Friar Rafael de la Serna. It has changed its name several times until December 14, 1871, when it acquired its current name. The university is spread among several locations in Medellín, being the main one the campus known as the University City of Medellín (Spanish: Ciudad Universitaria de Medellín, CUM) located in the northern part of the city.