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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources/ust.png"  alt="University of Santo Tomas logo"  />
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(University of Santo Tomas logo)
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<p>UST was founded on <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1092/the-foundation-of-the-college-of-santo-tom-s-of-manila" class="news_link">April 28, 1611</a> as a school to prepare young men for the priesthood, but the people's thirst for education transformed it into a university.
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The university, with complete name The Royal Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, spent over 300 years of its existence in Intramuros, but transferred later to its present 21.5-hectare campus along España Boulevard in Sampaloc, Manila due to the increasing number of student population.
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It was founded by Msgr. <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2891/miguel-de-benavides-credited-as-founder-of-university-of-santo-tomas" class="news_link">Miguel de Benavides</a>, O.P., together with Frays Domingo de Nieva and Bernardo de Santa Catalina, a Dominican and Third Archbishop of Manila who bequeathed his library and goods valued at ₱1,500 in 1611.
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It was renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas in memory of the preeminent Dominican theologian St. Thomas Aquinas.
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November 20, 1645: the University of Santo Tomas was elevated to university status by Pope Innocent X