Yale University

Yale University, founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School by ten Congregationalist ministers (all Harvard alumni), was initially located in Saybrook before moving to New Haven in 1716. The institution was renamed Yale College in 1718 after a substantial donation from Elihu Yale. Rooted in Puritan and Congregationalist ideals, Yale's original mission was to educate ministers and leaders, emphasizing theology and liberal education, reflected in its motto "Lux et Veritas" (Light and Truth).

Over time, Yale expanded its curriculum to include humanities and sciences, awarding the first U.S. PhD in 1861. It reorganized as a university in 1887, experiencing rapid growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with campus expansion and research development. Today, Yale comprises Yale College (undergraduate) and twelve graduate/professional schools and maintains a need-blind admissions policy for undergraduates. Controversies in its early history include the Arminian controversy of 1722 and discussions of founders operating within a slavery-permissive environment.