Naresuan University (NU) (, ) is a government university in Phitsanulok Province, northern Thailand. It was established as a separate university on 29 July 1990, 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 on the campus grounds and students regularly pay their respects before it. The university has about 20,000 full-time students. History On 18 January 1964, the Ministry of Education resolved to create branches of the Bangkok's College of Education in each region of the country. On 25 January 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. In 1976, the first and second years were added. Other majors besides education were gradually included, and in 1990 the Phitsanulok campus became independent of Srinakarinwirot University. It was designated "Naresuan University" during the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of King Naresuan the Great's ascension to the throne. Naresuan University has a second campus in Phayao, which opened in 1999 and was upgraded to university level and named "University of Phayao" in 2010. It also offers extension courses across the country at nine education centers, including Bangkok. Ranking In September 2006, Naresuan University was ranked as "Very Good" in a study conducted on Thai universities by the Commission on Higher Education and 5th in the uniRank 2017 Thai University Ranking. Faculties The university has 16 faculties, organized into three clusters: The Health Sciences Cluster Faculty of Allied Health Sciences Faculty of Dentistry Faculty of Medical Science Faculty of Medicine Naresuan University Hospital Faculty of Nursing Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty of Public Health The Social Sciences Cluster Faculty of Education Faculty of Humanities Faculty of Law Faculty of Business Economics and Communications Faculty of Social Sciences The Science & Technology Cluster Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environment Faculty of Architecture Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Science Faculty of Logistics and Digital Supply Chain Other schools, colleges and institutes organized by Naresuan University: School of Renewable Energy Technology