The University of Mindanao was established in 1946 and is one of the oldest universities in Southern Philippines. It is a non-sectarian school offering the most number of academic programs in this part of the country. It is located in Davao City. The University of Mindanao has 9 campuses and branches in Southern Mindanao. It has a total student population of 41, 962 (SY 2014-2015). It is the largest private university in Mindanao and cited as one of the most number of PACUCOA accredited programs in the country today. UM is also the first academic institution in Mindanao with an institutional ISO 9001:2008 Certification. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) granted an Autonomous Status to UM per CEB Res. No. 076-2009 and Category A (t) Status per CMO No. 09 s.2009.