The first research university in the Western Hemisphere and one of the founding members of the American Association of Universities, Johns Hopkins has ranked among the world’s top universities throughout its history. The National Science Foundation has ranked the university #1 among U.S. academic institutions in total science, medical, and engineering research and development spending for 31 consecutive years. Johns Hopkins is also ranked #12 in the U.S. News and World Report undergraduate program rankings for 2014 and was also ranked 11th in the U.S. News and World Report Best Global University Rankings of 2014, outranking Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University.