The University of Crete (UOC) is the principal higher education institution on the island of Crete, Greece, and one of the country's most academically acclaimed and reputable ones. The University ranked 48th in the The Times Higher Education (THE) annual list of the top 100 universities founded in the past 50 years. The University of Crete, is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution, located in the cities of Rethymnon and Heraklion, in the island of Crete.