Yale University

Yale University, 4th in the country, is the third oldest institution of higher learning. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, the school was founded in 1701 in the Saybrook Colony. Originally called the Collegiate School, it was renamed Yale after a large gift from Elihu Yale, governor of the British East India Company.

This private, not-for-profit university is a doctoral/research school. It offers Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorates. Currently, about 15,000 are enrolled which comprised of undergraduates and graduates.

Like many other schools of the time period, Yale was opened to train ministers, with a concentration in theology and sacred languages. However, in 1777, the curriculum changed to other subjects and the first Ph.D. in the United States was granted by Yale in 1861. The Yale Corporation actually has 14 constituent schools, athletic facilities, and forest and nature preserves throughout the New England area.

The university has produced dozens of well-known alumni, including five US presidents (William Howard Taft, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), several foreign heads of state, and famous actors and actresses including Vincent Price, Sigourney Weaver, and Jodie Foster. Pinterest co-founder, Ben Silbermann, and Electronic Arts co-founder, Bing Gordan, have also graduated from the school.

Yale University puts a serious emphasis on students’ education while attending, making sure each student has the best experience possible.