“Is a top-ranked college like MIT or Stanford an Ivy?
“Are public schools less prestigious than Ivies?”
“Do prestigious liberal arts colleges even compete with the Ivies?”
“Are Ivies worth the hype?”
“What is the possibility of getting admitted to an Ivy with decent admission
scores and a strong impact profile?”
When students and their parents start navigating U.S. colleges, one word comes up again and again: Ivy League. Everyone wants to know more about the Ivy League colleges. Somehow these appear on everyone’s wish list. What makes these universities so alluring, yet so competitive that only a handful of applicants make it to the offer in hand?
The Ivy League is a group of eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. It fetched its name from the term ‘League’ in sports, especially football. The group first informally aligned in 1938, and the Ivy League was officially established in 1954. Today, Ivy league universities are hailed as symbols of academic prestige and tradition.
The Eight Ivy League Schools:
★ Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
★ Yale University (New Haven, CT)
★ Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
★ Columbia University (New York, NY)
★ Brown University (Providence, RI)
★ Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
★ Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
★ University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
Why They Matter:
➢ Historical legacy and tradition (1636–1865)
➢ Extremely competitive (3–7% admit rates)
➢ World-class faculty and research opportunities
➢ Global Brand Recognition
➢ Exclusive and influential alumni network
➢ Associated prestige and elitism
➢ Financial aid and resources
Historically speaking…
Most of these schools were founded during colonial times in what was then British America, primarily in the Northeast— some of these regions are still known as New England. Originally, only affluent white individuals attended these colleges. It took centuries for women and people of color to gain access to these colleges. While there were many well-known non-Ivy League universities, such as MIT, Stanford, the University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and the University of California, Berkeley, only these eight prestigious colleges
came together as IVY LEAGUE due to their outstanding athletic programs and strong football teams. Their proximity to each other also contributed to the formation of the league, as they regularly competed in intercollegiate athletics, which continues to date.
The Ivy League isn’t a definitive list of the “best” schools in the US…
Over the years, educators have expanded the word “Ivy” to describe other universities with Ivy-level reputation. Today, there are many Ivy-level schools—some public, some small, some “hidden”—that can offer just as much value, mentorship, opportunity, and success as the Ivy League. These institutions have rigorous academics and selective admissions, even if they’re not part of the original league.
⚫Ivy Plus – The Elitest of the Elite
“Ivy Plus” refers to the Ivy League schools plus a group of non-Ivy institutions that are considered academically, culturally, and socially equivalent in terms of prestige, selectivity, and outcomes.
★ Massachusetts Institute of Technology
★ Stanford University
★ Duke University
★ University of Chicago
Why They Matter:
➢ Leaders in research, innovation, and global impact
➢ Geographically diverse
➢ Top ranked in specific disciplines like MIT and Caltech lead in STEM,
Stanford and Duke are go-to schools for tech, business, and entrepreneurship, and UChicago dominates economics and social sciences.
⚫Public Ivies: Ivy-Level Education, with Public-School cost
In 1985, author Richard Moll introduced the term Public Ivies to refer to public
universities that provide an Ivy League-quality education at a lower cost.
★ University of California (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD)
★ University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
★ University of Virginia
★ University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
★ College of William & Mary
★ University of Texas (Austin)
★ Miami University
★ University of Vermont
In 2001, the most significant revision to the public-ivy list was made by Howard and Matthew Greene. The list additionally included:
★ Pennsylvania State University
★ Rutgers University
★ State University of New York at Binghamton
★ University of Connecticut
★ University of Delaware
★ University of Maryland
★ University of Arizona
★ University of Colorado Boulder
★ University of Washington, Seattle
★ Indiana University Bloomington
★ Michigan State University
★ Ohio State University
★ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
★ University of Iowa
★ University of Minnesota Twin Cities
★ University of Wisconsin–Madison
★ University of Florida
★ University of Georgia
Why They Matter:
➢ Offer world-class research and top-ranked programs.
➢ Have much larger student bodies than private Ivies.
➢ Affordable yet top quality education
➢ Higher acceptance rates, reflecting commitment to access and diversity
➢ Strong National and Global Reputation
➢ Massive and global alumni network
⚫New Ivies: The Rising Powerhouses
Forbes announced New Ivies in 2024 and then 2025, comprising outstanding public universities and top private schools that are attracting the best and the brightest. These colleges compete with the Ivies in both prestige and admissions. The new list reinforced the earlier list to a large extent and additionbal universities came into limelight.
★ Georgia Tech
★ Purdue University, West Lafayette
★ United States Military Academy
★ University of Pittsburgh (Main campus)
★ University of Southern California
★ Boston College
★ Carnegie Mellon University
★ Vanderbilt University
★ Emory University
★ Georgetown University, DC
★ Johns Hopkins University
★ Washington Universityin St. Louis
★ Northwestern University
★ Tufts University
★ Rice University
★ University of Notre Dame
Why They Matter:
➢ Admit rates and academic prestige are comparable to those of Ivy League
schools.
➢ Broadened access to elite education both in public and private US higher
education landscape.
➢ Disruption of the Old Hierarchy
➢ Wider geographical scope, leading to regional strengths in campuses
⚫Little Ivies: Small but Elite
The Little Ivies are small, private liberal arts colleges in the northeastern United States known for academic excellence, high selectivity, and close-knit communities.
★ Amherst College
★ Williams College
★ Swarthmore College
★ Bowdoin College
★ Wesleyan College
★ Middlebury College
★ Haverford College
★ Bates College
★ Colby college
★ Vassar College
Why They Matter:
➢ Powerful alternative to the main stream universities
➢ Small cohort size and close knit campus experience
➢ Emphasis on undergraduate education
➢ Liberal arts focus with elite academic rigor
➢ Personalized attention from the top faculty
➢ Deep intellectual engagement
➢ Transformational
➢ Placement in top grad programs in the top tier universities
⚫Hidden Ivies: Elite, But Lesser known Gems Authors Howard and Matthew Greene gave the term Hidden Ivies in their bestselling book, describing 60+ schools that are just as selective and rigorous as the Ivies, but less well-known. These gems are an extension of the
‘Little Ivies’ list and are certainly worth considering. A few prominent ones –
★ Barnard College
★ Bryn Mawr College
★ Franklin & Marshal
★ Hamilton
★ Lehigh University
★ Mount Holoyoke
★ Skidmore College
★ Smith college
★ Davidson College
★ Tulane University
★ Wake Forest University
★ Claremont McKenna College
★ Pomona College
★ Harvey Mudd
Why They Matter:
➢ Equally selective and rigorous.
➢ Excellent Grad school pipelines and career placement.
➢ Many offer generous financial aid.
Debunking the Ivy myths… One widespread belief is that only perfect grades or test scores can win admission into these prestigious universities. In truth, although academic excellence is very important, elite schools often use holistic admissions — that means they look beyond numbers: they value essays, extracurricular impact, leadership, personal background, and how students have used their
opportunities. Another common myth is that attending an Ivy or an Ivy Plus university is the only path to success — but that’s simply not true. Neither are these the only path to excellence nor are they immune to criticism or limitations.
While the seschools offer incredible resources, they aren’t a guarantee of happiness, career fulfillment, or even the best educational fit for every student. There are so many other “Ivies” to choose from: Public Ivies, New Ivies, Little Ivies, Hidden Ivies..even non-Ivies and yet prove to be a great fit for a set of students. International students while applying often overlook liberal arts colleges (part of Little or Hidden Ivies) simply because they are lesser known internationally and do not feature in ranking systems like QS or Times Higher Education. What is often forgotten is that skills like intellectual curiosity and critical thinking are developed better in an interdisciplinary liberal education environment.
The goal shouldn’t be to chase prestige for prestige’s sake, but to find a place that aligns with your goals, values, fitment, budget, and personal growth. The best school is not the one with the fanciest label—it’s the one that helps you grow, learn, and launch the life you want. Thrive and not just survive !!
