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Before the foundation of universities, academics traveled around looking for knowledge, students, and positions. Cities were commercial centers and typically were attractive also because they were seats of larger churches with their associated libraries (scriptoria). Moreover, well-to-do citizens could afford the education, which could lead to higher offices, and gladly connected themselves to the universitas civium.

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The prospects of cultural influence and access to educated personnel made the higher secular authorities interested in universities. On the Iberian peninsula, the kings wanted to demonstrate their newly established power in opposition to Islam. In Italy, pope, emperor and civic authorities extended or confirmed their spheres of influence through the support of universities.

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The growth of cities in Europe also made it possible for ecclesiastical and secular authorities to establish universities. More and more universities, however, were financially dependent on their secular patrons or ecclesiastical benefices. The earlier priveleges and independence of the universities were gradually reduced. The first early places of study were often abandoned or destroyed in war.

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At the latest, with the disruptions of the reformation, universities became a symbol of royal power and territorial control. Confessional conflicts or violent struggles (e.g. the revolt of the Hussites) were dealt with by the removal of support and/or protection. The European universities lost considerably in prestige as the growing strength of humanism had a corresponding effect on instruction. With the beginning of the 15th century, the Medieval Universities entered a period of long decline.

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The Catholic church recognized the growing importance of instruction at the university level for the educated and mostly well-to-do elements of its people. Through the establishment of privileges, the popes were able to exercise a considerabel interest on their instruction and academic appointments. More seldom, there was also the wish to firm up Christian belief in particular areas (Toulouse).

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Imperial privileges belong to the more rare elements for the foundation of universities. For many emperors, especially in northern Italy, the decision to found universities was closely tied to the relationship between emperor and pope. At the same time, the emperors wanted to encourage the education of legal scholars who later could enter the imperial service.

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The special situation in the kingdoms of Castile and Leon in connection with the great Conquista (the Christian "reconquest" of the Iberian Peninsula), allowed the rulers to profile their critical roles and to assisst the subjects of the newly won territories to develop a new cultural identity through university education. At the same time, they served as a symbol of the special position of power enjoyed by the kings in the "Christian West".

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Royal and Papal authorities hoped that universities would end their sovereignty, would make cities more attractive, would provide well educated personnel for the court, and, not the least, would improve their power in other situations. Some officials (e.g. bishops) were nevertheless under obligation to both of the highest medieval authorities, namely emperor and pope, and needed their financial support, or did not want to operate without it (e.g. in the case of founding a theological faculty).

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A good number of these unofficial foundations arose out of the conflicts between academics, a conflict that led to a secession from one of the older universities (e.g. Angers and Orleans developed out of a secession from Paris). In northern Italy, the power struggles between emperor and pope were responsible for such divisions as can be seen even among the powerful city-states. The prestige that was connected with universities was highly valued. Consequently communities competed with one another to attract the most prestigious academics.

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