The National Autonomous University of Mexico is the largest university in Latin America. In 2016, it had an acceptance rate of only 8%. As a public research university in Mexico City, UNAM is regarded by many university world rankings as the leading university of the Spanish-speaking world. UNAM was founded, in its modern form, on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to its predecessor, the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico.