List of women who obtained doctoral degrees before 1800
Although doctoral degrees appeared in the universities of West Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries, for a long time they were given only to men. Below is a list of the women who obtained doctoral degrees before 1800. The list includes only academic degrees, not Doctors of Divinity.
Constance Calenda may have received a medical degree from the University of Naples. Juliana Morell "defended theses" in 1606 or 1607, although claims that she received a doctorate in canon law in 1608 have been discredited. The putative 13th-century instance of Bittizia Gozzadini at the University of Bologna is discounted by Holt N. Parker.
| Person | Year | University | Degree |
| Elena Cornaro Piscopia | 1678 | University of Padua | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Laura Bassi | 1732 | University of Bologna | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Cristina Roccati | 1750 | University of Bologna | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Dorothea Erxleben | 1754 | University of Halle | Doctor of Medicine |
| Maria Pellegrina Amoretti | 1777 | University of Pavia | Doctor of Laws |
| Dorothea von Rodde-Schlözer | 1787 | University of Göttingen | Doctor of Medicine |
| Maria Dalle Donne | 1799 | University of Bologna | Doctor of Medicine |