Academic education took place at Mulhouse in 1822 with the foundation of a ‘’chemistry class’’, the first fruits of the ENSCMu, Ecole Nationale Superieure de Mulhouse ( National Chemicha engineering School of Mulhouse). It has kept this name ever since. This is the oldest chemistry school of France. L’Ecole de Filature et de Tissage Mecanique (School of Mechanical Spinning and Weaving)  was founded in 1861: It became ENSITM, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Industries Textiles de Mulhouse (National textile engineering School of Mulhouse) in 1977 and merged with ESSAIM in 2007 to become ENSISA.

Those two schools were founded by the local industrialists in order to provide professionals of the flourishing industries with experts in textiles and colouring substances.

Later, two annexes of Strasbourg University were settled in Mulhouse: Le college Scientifique Universitaire ( Scientific and Academic Union) in 1958 and an academic center of litterature in 1963. They became subsequently the Faculty of Science and Technology and the faculty of Arts.

l’Institut Universitaire de Technologie (Academic Institute of Technology) was created in 1968 at Mulhouse and Colmar.

In 1975, the University of Haut Rhin was founded which became the Université de Haute Alsace (UHA) in 1977 gathering all departments.

The  Faculté des Sciences Economiques , Sociales et Juridiques (Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Law) wa created in 1986.

L'Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Appliquées pour l'Ingénieur de Mulhouse - ESSAIM (Applied Engineering Sciences) was born in 1990.

As to l'Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Colmar (Colmar Academic Institute of Technology), it became independent in 1992.

Various academic educational programmes were being outsourced on the campus of Colmar. Then,  Colmar University Department------ Departement d’universite de Colmar ( DUC) was formed, which has been named UFR PEPS (Pluridisciplinaire d’Enseignement Professionalise Superieur) since 2002  .

Some Figures

Today, UHA has :

• 8000 students
• 512 professors
• 850 casual employees
• 426 non professional and technical staff
• 2 annexes
• 4 faculties (FLSH, FST, FSESJ, UFR PEPS)
• 3 engineering schools
• 1 continuing educational Service (SERFA)
• 1 centre for academic apprentices' education
• 1 academic centre for professors and tutors' education (CUFEF)
• 2 tri-national educational institutes
• 20 laboratories divided ito 6 centres of research