Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. To date, Howard has awarded more than 120,000 degrees in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities.

Howard is a leader in STEM fields. The National Science Foundation has ranked Howard as the top producer of African-American undergraduates who later earn science and engineering doctoral degrees. The University also boasts nationally ranked programs in social work, business and communication sciences and disorders. In 2013, The Washington Post named Howard An Incubator for Cinematographers.

The University's motto Veritas et Utilitas, Truth and Service, represents a key part of its identity. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students dedicate hundreds of hours each year to service in nearby LeDroit Park, around the nation and far-flung places around the world.

Over the course of its 145-year history of providing the finest primary, secondary and tertiary health care services, Howard University Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, has become one of the most comprehensive health care facilities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The university also offers more than 200 registered student organizations for students to have their best of university life experience.

Howard's main campus is home to 256 acres of land across the District of Columbia and Maryland. The historic main campus sits on a hilltop in Northwest Washington blocks from the storied U Street and Howard Theatre. With the Main Campus located in northwest DC, the School of Law, School of Divinity, and Howard's research facility each have dedicated campuses nearby. The urban location in Washington, D.C. puts the university in the middle of one of the most powerful hubs of influence in government, health, technology, economies, the arts, and more.