Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1636 and based in Cambridge and Boston. It enrolls more than 20,000 degree candidates across undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, and its faculty pursue teaching and research meant to push the boundaries of human knowledge. The university describes its mission as excellence in teaching, learning and research, and developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally.

Research coming out of Harvard and its affiliated hospitals touches medicine, science and technology. The university highlights work such as the discovery of the GLP-1 hormone, stem cell research toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, AI tools for diagnosing cancer, and DNA nanotechnology for drug delivery at the Wyss Institute. Undergraduate life centers on the historic campus near the Square, while graduate and professional schools spread across Cambridge and Boston. The university also maintains a public event calendar.

What to Know

• Harvard has twelve degree-granting schools plus the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
• More than 360,000 Harvard alumni live around the world.
• The university reports awarding financial aid to more than 60 percent of its undergraduate students.
• Harvard is listed with the Cambridge Chamber, the Greater Boston Chamber and the Harvard Square Business Association.