Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge , Massachusetts , established in 1636 , whose history , influence , and wealth have made it one of the world 's most prestigious universities . Established originally by the Massachusetts legislature and soon thereafter named 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 . The university is organized into eleven separate academic units -- ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study -- with campuses throughout the Boston metropolitan area : its 209 acre main campus is centered on Harvard Yard in Cambridge , approximately 3 mi 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 in the Longwood Medical Area . Harvard is a large , highly residential research university . The nominal cost of attendance is high , but the university 's large endowment allows it to offer generous financial aid packages .
Harvard University is a university.