When you look at the area's colleges and universities, it is easy to see why. The legacy of education in America began in Boston in 1636 with the founding of Harvard College, the nation's first institution of higher learning. Today there are more than 50 colleges and universities in the area. Being the largest urban center in New England, Greater Boston claims more than half the region's 117 colleges.
Intellectual pursuits permeate the city.
Many other prestigious schools also inhabit the area, including such well known music schools as Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. In addition, the city boasts an impressive array of art, medical, law, and business schools. Nowhere else in America is there such a mixture. Many of New England's colleges grew out of the powerful Christian influence of the first three centuries. The schools of New England draw students and faculty from all corners of the globe.