University of Michigan

This public research institution in Ann Arbor, Michigan is known by several abbreviations such as the University of Michigan, U-M, U of M, UMich, or Michigan State University. The University of Michigania was founded in Detroit in 1817 as the Catholepistemiad, or the University of Michigania, 20 years even before territory became a state, making it the state's oldest institution. When the University of Michigan was relocated to Ann Arbor in 1837, it took up 40 acres (16 hectares) of land on what is today known as Central Campus. It has grown from its original location in Ann Arbor to include more than 584 major buildings on 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 (each of which is an independently accredited university), and a Center in Detroit since its founding in 1868. The institution is a founding member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which was established in 1908.

According to various college and university rankings, the University of Michigan is among the top public institutions in the United States. According to the classification system, the institution belongs to the category "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity." University of Michigan offers doctoral degrees in the humanities and social sciences, as well as STEM fields (such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), as well as professional degrees in architecture, business, medicine and public policy. The university also offers professional degrees in pharmacy, nursing, social work, public health, and dentistry, among other fields.

Michigan's endowment will be worth $12.48 billion in 2020, making it one of the most valuable universities in the world. There are a total of 53 MacArthur "genius grant" recipients (29 alumnus recipients and 24 faculty recipients), 26 Nobel Prize recipients, six Turing Award recipients, 1 Fields Medalist, and 1 Mitchell Scholar associated with the institution as of October 2019. There are eight former heads of state or government among its graduates, including former President of the United States Gerald Ford; 42 cabinet-level officials; and 26 billionaires still alive today. It also boasts a large number of alumni who have received Fulbright Scholarships.