Since the establishment of Dar ul-Funun in19th century, many institutions of higher education have gathered in Tehran, and some institutions of higher education have played an important role in Iranian political events. Samuel Martin Jordan is one of the founders of Elbers High School, and the Jordan Trail in Teheran is named after him. Among many educational institutions in Tehran, Sharif University of Technology is the most prestigious one in Iran. Tehran University is the largest and oldest national university in Iran and one of the oldest universities in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Amir kabir University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran Medical University, Shahid University and Tarbiat Modares University in Attermo are all higher ranked universities in Iran.