A term reserved for schools in the Midwestern
United States that have similar qualities as Harvard University. The University of Notre Dame with its large endowment, strong alumni support, a highly selective undergraduate body, good faculty salaries, strong academic and athletic traditions is usually cited as the unofficial Harvard of the Midwest.
Other candidates include Northwestern University,
University of Michigan (though non-private), and the
University of Chicago. The latter is usually referred to as the "MIT of the Midwest" instead.