Northwestern University (often abbreviated as Northwestern or NU) is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the former Northwest Territory, it is the oldest chartered university in Illinois. The university’s main campus lies along the shores of Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Northwestern is composed of eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, which include the Kellogg School of Management, the Pritzker School of Law, the Feinberg School of Medicine, the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the Bienen School of Music, the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Communication, the School of Professional Studies, the School of Education and Social Policy, and The Graduate School