Boston University is an independent, coeducational, nonsectarian university. Founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church for the improvement of theological training, it has since its incorporation in 1869 been fully open to women and to all minorities. Its more than 24,022 full-time students and more than 3,500 faculty members contribute to its ranking as one of the world’s largest independent universities. The main campus, on the south bank of the Charles River just west of downtown Boston, houses the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Management, Metropolitan College, the College of Communication, Sargent College of Allied Health Professions, the School of Social Work, the School of Theology, and the University Professors’ Program. On the medical campus are the School of Medicine, the School of Public Health, the Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and University Hospital.The Graduate School has 1,910 students, of whom approximately 49 percent are women and 35 percent come from abroad.