Ivy League Schools List Rankings

Have you ever heard of the most prestigious league of universities in the U.S. which is a dream of many students worldwide? We bet you did, but not everyone can name all schools that are in it. The term Ivy League refers to only eight schools that form the Ivy League athletic conference. The irony is that this NCAA Division athletic conference is the only conference that does not, in fact, provide athletic scholarships. People often mistake several other reputable universities to be a part of the Ivy League.

For example, MIT or Stanford are perceived by many as Ivy League schools as well. Each of the Ivy League colleges has earned a reputation of a provider of high-level education, exceptional career opportunities and personal connections. They are all extremely selective of their applicants and cherish the prestige and recognition they have.

The List of the IVY League Schools Ranked and Reviewed

The Ivy League can boast with having the best Northeast universities in its list. They mostly rank in the top 15 positions in the national ranks, which most of them being listed in the top 10.

Here is how American authoritative organizations and media rank them:

1. Harvard University
2. Princeton University
3. Yale University
4. Columbia University
5. University of Pennsylvania
6. Brown University
7. Dartmouth College
8. Cornell University

Harvard University is well known for being extremely selective about the prospective students’ GPA and SAT/Act results. It has dedicated its efforts to providing the opportunity for teaching, learning, and research as well as encouraging students to make a difference globally.

Princeton University is a private research university which is one of the oldest and most known universities worldwide. It has a list of famous researchers who largely contributed to the development of science and brought a major difference to the global society through teaching and research.

Yale University was founded in 1701 that dedicated its efforts to expanding and sharing knowledge through innovation and cultural diversity. It is also a private institution that is one of nine colonial colleges founded prior to the Declaration of Independence.

Columbia University is a private research university in New York which is known as one of the most well-known and prestigious universities in the U.S. It was founded in 1754 as the first college in New York and the fifth college in the territory of 13 Colonies. It has been providing scientific degrees since 1758.

The University of Pennsylvania is a private university that was chartered in 1755 and provided education in the territory of 13 Colonies before the Declaration of Independence. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin who advocated for educational opportunities for everyone and has grown into the world’s best educational institution.

Brown University is one of the nine oldest universities in the territory of the U.S established prior to the Declaration of Independence. It has received its name after one of its graduates whose family played a key role in the organization and administration of the university.

Dartmouth College is a private research university which provides opportunities for scientific experiments and research. It is one of the oldest educational institutions that provide general education to over 6 thousand people.

Cornell University was founded by a businessman and a researcher and combines the main features of these activities. It is famous for its 7 colleges, each having its own set of admission rules and internal policies.

The List of Schools that are not enlisted in the IVY League

America has many other universities and colleges that prepare highly-qualified specialists in different fields. Sometimes, they are mistakenly included in the list of Ivy League schools since it has become a synonym of success, prestige, high ranks and selectivity. Stanford and MIT are not the only schools that are often thought to belong to the Ivy League.

Some of the best colleges and schools located in or near the northeast also often appear in this list. However, the fact that they do not comprise the Ivy League does not make them worse than those universities which do. They are as good as the Ivies or sometimes even better.

These schools are the following:

• MIT
• University of Chicago
• Stanford
• Duke
• Johns Hopkins
• Northwestern
• Caltech
• Vanderbilt
• Rice
• Notre Dame
• UCLA
• Washington University in Saint Louis
• Emory
• Georgetown
• UC Berkeley
• USC
• Carnegie Mellon
• Tufts
• University of Michigan
• NYU
• Boston College
• College of William & Mary
• Boston University
• Penn State
• Amherst
• Vassar

What Can You Determine From the IVY League Rankings

The League colleges have earned an excellent reputation and can boast with having their alumni everywhere in the world, building their successful careers, playing an important role in the history of their nation or researching important social issues. The Ivy League schools always appear at the top of any national rankings; however, the exact rank of each university often differs from one ranking to another. The truth is that all eight universities in the Ivy League are different so that it makes it hard to compare them. Grouping several of them into separate tiers would be logical.

Thus, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale would be in the top tier. They are known as the very best universities in the US. The second tier would have Columbia, Penn, and Brown. Their academic reputation is less established compared to the previous universities, and they are less selective. The third tier would include Dartmouth and Cornell since they have the highest acceptance rate among all Ivies. It makes them comparable with other universities from non-Ivy League.

This difference explains the inconsistencies some rankings may have. However, it is worth remembering that all rankings are subjective since they are generated by people who may not know all the details about each university. It is also hard to compare the learning environment and other things which only students can rate.