Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, the university was named after its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur, abolitionist, and philanthropist Johns Hopkins. Its donation was the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the United States up to that time. Adopting the concept of a graduate school from Germany’s historic Heidelberg University, Johns Hopkins University is considered the first research university in the United States. Over the course of several decades, the university has led all the US universities in annual research and development expenditures. Johns Hopkins University is ranked among the 25 best universities in the world according to all the most prominent rankings, such as the ones made by: ARWU, U.S. News & World Report, QS and Times Higher Education.