Hamburger University is the name of McDonald's training institution for restaurant management.
McDonald's established Hamburger University in 1961 at the company's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. It provided structured instruction in restaurant operations, leadership, food safety, service, and company procedures.
The deliberately playful name became part of McDonald's corporate branding. “Hamburger” connected the school directly to the chain's core product while “University” signaled a formal approach to training and management development.
Hamburger University is not a conventional degree-granting university in the usual public or private higher-education sense. It is a corporate education and training center, and its programs have been delivered at McDonald's facilities in different countries over time.