Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Established in 1867, Howard is a nonsectarian institution located in the Shaw neighborhood. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in more than 120 programs and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". It is the only HBCU with R1 designation. Howard is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.