Harvard University

Harvard, founded in 1636, commands the largest university endowment at over $50 billion—more than triple that of #2 Cambridge—and counts 162 Nobel laureates among its affiliates. Its alumni include eight U.S. Presidents and 188 living billionaires, making it the most powerful alumni network in the world. With a 4% acceptance rate, it is more selective than #3 Oxford's 17%, and its law, business, and medical schools dominate global rankings across those fields, producing 45% of America's Supreme Court justices.