Harvard University

Founded 1636. Oldest US university, richest endowment, most Nobel affiliates of any institution.

Overview

Harvard was established by the Massachusetts Bay Colony to train clergy and grew into the most recognized university on earth. It counts more than 150 Nobel laureates among alumni and faculty and eight US presidents, from John Adams to Barack Obama. Its endowment exceeds 50 billion dollars, the largest of any university, funding everything from Widener Library to the medical campus in Boston's Longwood district. Undergraduate life centers on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, while its graduate schools anchor law, medicine, business, and government studies worldwide.