The University of Michigan is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1817 in Detroit, as the Catholepistemiad, or the University of Michigania, 20 years before the territory became a state, the university is Michigan's oldest.
The school was moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha) of what is now known as Central Campus. Since its establishment in Ann Arbor, the flagship university campus has expanded to include more than 584 major buildings with a combined area of more than 780 acres (3.2 km2) spread out over Central Campus and North Campus, two satellite campuses in Flint and Dearborn, and a Center in Detroit. The university is a founding member of the Association of American Universities.
Michigan has ranked among the best public universities in the United States by major college and university rankings. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Michigan offers doctoral degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as well as professional degrees in architecture, business, medicine, law, public policy, pharmacy, nursing, social work, public health, and dentistry.
At over $12.4 billion in 2019, Michigan's endowment is among the largest of any university. As of October 2019, 53 MacArthur "genius award" winners (29 alumni winners and 24 faculty winners), 26 Nobel Prize winners, six Turing Award winners, one Fields Medalist, and one Mitchell Scholar have been affiliated with the university. Its alumni include eight heads of state or government, including President of the United States Gerald Ford; 38 cabinet-level officials; and 26 living billionaires. It also has many alumni who are Fulbright Scholars and MacArthur Fellows.
