The University of Auvergne (Université d'Auvergne), also known as “Universite d'Auvergne Clermont-Ferrand I” or Clermont-Ferrand I, is a French public university, based in Clermont-Ferrand, in the region of Auvergne. It is under the Academy of Clermont-Ferrand. It is the head of PRES Clermont Université consortium; PRES being the league of elite universities of France. Hence, the university is constantly ranked as a leading academic institution by various French academicians and newspapers, most notably Le Figaro. The Université d’Auvergne was founded in 1519 and as such in 1806 as a medical school. Soon the university established itself as a premier center for medical studies, and continues to do so for over 100 years. It became the Université d’Auvergne Clermont-Ferrand 1 on March 16, 1976. The university has a status of EPSCSP, which is the highest French accreditation. This leads to high emphasis over the professional and research areas of the university. A comprehensive institution, it offers more than 60 national degrees in Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Law and Forensics, Economics and Politics, Management and Administration, and Technology.