The University of Michigan—Ann Arbor is a public institution that was founded in 1817 and made the city of Ann Arbor its permanent home in 1837. The university’s campus is located just less than 45 miles west of Detroit. More than 40,000 students attend the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, and around 65 percent of them study at the undergraduate level. The institution hosts international students from more than 110 countries. Tuition costs are higher for out-of-state students. The academic calendar is based on a trimester system at many but not all of the university’s schools. The primary language of instruction is English, but the university teaches more than 65 foreign languages. The university guarantees housing for incoming freshmen as well as offers a variety of housing options for all students.

The university comprises 19 schools and colleges, including schools of business, pharmacy and social work. Some of the most popular majors for undergraduates are business, psychology and economics. Among the highly ranked graduate schools at the university are the College of Engineering, the Law School and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers are highly ranked in several specialties. The university's research expenditures have topped $1 billion in the last several years; the discipline that receives the highest percentage of the research dollars is medical sciences. Among the many research centers at the university are the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, the Ground Robotics Research Center and the Addiction Research Center.

University of Michigan--Ann Arbor is ranked #17 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.