Brandeis University () is a private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian, coeducational university, Brandeis was established on the site of the former Middlesex University. It is named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Brandeis is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The university has been a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) since 1985.