Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts whose history, influence and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious univer

for John Harvard (its first benefactor), Harvard is the United States' oldest institution of higher learning, and the Harvard Corporation (formally, the President and Fellows of Harvard College) is its first chartered corporation. Although never formally affiliated with any denomination, the early College primarily trained Congregation­alist and Unitarian clergy. Its curriculum and student body were gradually secularized during the 18th century, and by the 19th century Harvard had emerged as the central cultural establishment among Boston elites.

prominent alumni. It is organized into eleven separate academic units—ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study—with campuses throughout the Boston metropolitan area. Harvard's 209-acre (85 ha) main campus is centered on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Boston. The business school and athletics facilities, including Harvard Stadium, are located across the Charles River in the Allston neighborhood of Boston and the medical, dental, and public health schools are located in the Longwood Medical Area

students, faculty, or staff. Harvard is also the alma mater of sixty-two living billionaires, the most in the country.

the United States, and one of the largest in the world.