Founded in 1886, Yeshiva University is the oldest and most comprehensive educational institution under Jewish auspices in America. It reflects the centuries-old commitment of the Jewish people to learning, continuity, and the advancement of human knowledge and is a unique and vital resource for the Jewish community and society at large. US News & World Report rates Yeshiva as one of the top 50 research universities in America.

From its beginnings as a small day school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the University has developed into a multifaceted center for teaching and research with facilities on four campuses in New York City. Central administration offices are located on the Wilf campus at 500 West 185th Street, New York, NY 10033.

The University's 17 undergraduate, graduate, and affiliated schools and divisions reflect the full range of knowledge in the arts, sciences, and professions, and the richness of Jewish culture and thought. Total on-campus enrollment is approximately 6,300, including some 2,000 undergraduate students. An additional 600 young men and women per year study under YU auspices in Israel.

Undergraduate programs for men (Wilf campus) and for women (Midtown Campus) combine rigorous programs in the arts and sciences (and in some instances business) with extensive offerings in Jewish studies. The philosophy behind these programs is called Torah Umadda (Torah and Western learning). The goal is to convey both wisdom and knowledge, to imbue in students a system of values that can help guide their personal, professional, and communal lives long after they graduate.

Coeducational graduate and professional programs are offered in medicine (Albert Einstein College of Medicine), law (Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law), social work (Wurzweiler School of Social Work), psychology (Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology), Jewish studies (Bernard Revel Graduate School), and Jewish education (Azrieli Graduate School of Education and Administration).

Rabbinic training and instruction in Jewish music are provided on the Wilf campus at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of the University. The Yeshiva University High Schools provide college preparatory instruction for boys (Wilf campus) and for girls (in Queens).

Yeshiva University's 40,000 alumni work in virtually all fields and live in communities across the country and around the world. Several thousand have made aliyah to Israel. Most YU alumni are active in their local communities, and many hold leadership positions in communal organizations.