Private research university Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois. The oldest accredited university in Illinois and one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, Northwestern University, was established in 1851.

Northwestern was founded in 1851 to serve the old Northwest Territory and was chartered by the Illinois General Assembly. After initially being associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university later became nonsectarian. The university ranked third among American universities by 1900. Northwestern was a founding member of the Big Ten Conference in 1896 and a founding member of the Association of American Universities in 1917.