The University of Ghana was founded as the University College of the Gold Coast on August 11, 1948 as an affiliate college of the University of London, which supervised and awarded its degrees. It attained full university status in 1961. The university was created by ordinance from the work of the West African Commission of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the Colonies under the chairmanship of Rt. Hon. Walter Elliot.
This recommendation resulted principally from a rejection of the original proposal to have one University in Nigeria to serve British West Africa, by a number of Gold Coasters, principally Sir Arku Korsah and also later, scholar and politician Dr. J. B. Danquah. The university has a population of just under 40,000 students and has students from over 70 countries. It is the premier and largest university in Ghana. The University has four Colleges: College of Basic and Applied Sciences http://www.cbas.ug.edu.gh/, College of Education http://www.coe.ug.edu.gh/, College of Health Sciences http://www.chs.ug.edu.gh/ and College of Humanities http://www.coh.ug.edu.gh/