Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States and arguably the most recognized university name in the world. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts — across the Charles River from Boston — Harvard is the crown jewel of American higher education, a place that has shaped the course of human history more profoundly than perhaps any other academic institution.
Harvard's main campus — Harvard Yard — is one of the most historically significant sites in American history. Founded just 16 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Harvard predates the American nation by 140 years. The Yard's red-brick Georgian buildings, ancient elm trees, and the famous bronze statue of John Harvard (actually a stand-in — no portrait of Harvard survives) are among the most photographed academic scenes in the world. Harvard's campus extends well beyond the Yard to include the Law School campus, the Kennedy School of Government, the Business School across the river in Allston, and the Medical School in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston.
Harvard enrolls approximately 23,000 students across its 13 schools and institutes, including the College (undergraduate), Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. International students make up approximately 25% of the student body, drawn from virtually every country on earth. Harvard's endowment of over $50 billion is the largest of any educational institution in the world.
The university's alumni include eight U.S. presidents — John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — as well as Justin Trudeau, Rajiv Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, and an almost incomprehensible roster of Nobel laureates (161 and counting), Pulitzer Prize winners, and billionaires.
Harvard's libraries — 73 in total — hold approximately 20 million volumes, making it the largest private library system in the world. The Harvard Art Museums, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, and the Museum of Natural History are all world-class institutions open to visitors.
Cambridge and Boston together form one of the great intellectual capitals of the world. The concentration of universities, hospitals, and research institutions within a few square miles — Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Tufts, Northeastern, and dozens of teaching hospitals — creates an environment of extraordinary intellectual energy.
For families flying from New York, the most comfortable option is a luxury SUV transfer from JFK or Newark, approximately 4 to 4.5 hours by road. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is approximately 30–45 minutes from Harvard's campus, making it the most convenient option for direct flights. MyNYSUV provides full door-to-door luxury SUV service from JFK, EWR, and all New York-area airports to Harvard's Cambridge campus, as well as to affiliated locations including the Business School in Allston, the Medical School in Longwood, and any Boston-area address. We also serve Phillips Academy Andover (1 hour from Harvard) and Deerfield Academy (1.5 hours) for families managing school and university visits in New England.