Boston University, Private research university in Boston, Massachusetts.
Boston University is a private research institution along the Charles River with brick buildings, modern laboratories, and facilities extending roughly two and a half kilometers from Kenmore Square to Packard's Corner. It comprises 17 schools offering around 300 programs in fields including medicine, law, engineering, business, and humanities.
The institution started in Vermont in 1839 as Newbury Biblical Institute, moved to Boston in 1867, and received its university charter in 1869. Over the following decades it grew through land purchases along the river and the founding of new schools to become one of the largest private universities in the United States.
Students from more than 130 countries bring their languages and habits to campus, visible in events, clubs, and everyday encounters between classes. Libraries fill up before exams, while in spring and fall many sit on lawns along the river or pause under trees on their way to dining halls.
Visitors can explore the campus on foot or via the Green Line B streetcar, which stops at several points between Kenmore Square and Packard's Corner. Libraries, public lectures, and galleries are sometimes open to the public, though some areas require registration or escort.
Helen Magill White earned her doctorate here in 1877, becoming the first woman in the United States to receive a PhD, marking a turning point in higher education for women. The institution also runs its own laboratory for COVID-19 testing, enabling regular screening for students and staff.
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