. ▁Most , ▁especially ▁at ▁the ▁pr esch ool ▁and ▁primary ▁school ▁levels ▁are ▁private ▁followed ▁by ▁state - sp ons ored ▁schools . ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁institution ▁of ▁higher ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁is ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁which ▁offers ▁nin ety - n ine ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degrees ▁and ▁eight y - two ▁post - grad uate ▁degrees . ▁The ▁University ▁has ▁its ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁colonial ▁period ▁as ▁the ▁Co leg io ▁de ▁Santo ▁Tom ás ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 1 ▁by ▁the ▁Jes uits . ▁When ▁this ▁order ▁was ▁exp elled ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 7 ▁the ▁college ▁closed ▁and ▁was ▁re open ed ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 1 ▁as ▁the ▁Real ▁y ▁Liter aria ▁Universidad ▁de ▁Gu adal aj ara , ▁beginning ▁with ▁maj ors ▁in ▁medicine ▁and ▁law . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁university ▁was ▁in ▁tur mo il ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁struggle ▁between ▁Liber als ▁and ▁Conserv atives , ▁changing ▁name ▁between ▁Instituto ▁de ▁C ien cias ▁del ▁Estado ▁and ▁the ▁Universidad ▁de ▁Gu adal aj ara , ▁depending ▁on ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁power . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁settled ▁to ▁the ▁latter ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁under ▁re organ ization . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁it ▁was ▁re organ ized ▁again ▁and ▁expanded . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁most ▁important ▁college ▁is ▁the ▁Universidad ▁Aut ón oma ▁de ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁with ▁fifty -