The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of higher education in the United States. Pitt evolved into the Western University of Pennsylvania with an alteration to its charter in 1819, and upon relocating to its current campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh in 1908, the school received its current moniker, the University of Pittsburgh. For most of its history Pitt was a private institution, until it became part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in 1966. Pitt has consistently placed in the top cluster of U.S. public research universities and among the overall top 25 research universities according to the Center for Measuring University Performance, is listed as one of U.S. News & World Report's top 20 public universities, and has been listed among the best colleges for the quality of life of its students. Pitt has also been named as a "best value" by various publications, and has appeared in multiple rankings of the world's top universities. Pitt is among the nation's and world's most active research institutions as evidenced by its $822 million in annual research expenditures, its standing among the top five schools in the amount of National Institutes of Health research allocations, and its election as one of the 61 North American members of the Association of American Universities. Pitt and its medical school are also closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers. Pitt is popularly recognized for its centerpiece building, the Cathedral of Learning, for its central role in developing the first polio vaccine, and for fielding nationally competitive NCAA Division I athletic programs.