Public Ivy
The University of Maryland's proximity to the nation's capital has resulted in many research partnerships with the federal government; faculty receive research funding and institutional support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is labeled a "Public Ivy", denoting a quality of education comparable to the private Ivy League. UMD is ranked among the top 100 universities both nationally and globally by several indices.