Ivy League Schools versus Public Ivies

When considering the most prestigious colleges in the United States, the eight Ivy League schools, all located in the northeast, most often come to mind. The first of these elite schools was Harvard, founded in 1636, with Yale following in 1702.  Five more of these institutions were established in the mid-1700’s (University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, Brown, Columbia and Dartmouth) while Cornell was founded in 1865.

But the term Ivy League wasn’t coined until 1954 when the NCAA athletic conference for Division I was formed.  Since then, these elite schools have certainly maintained their athletic rivalries. But a sense of academic competitiveness thrives as well, with many of these institutions claiming bragging rights for the number of U.S. presidents they’ve educated.  Harvard: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, Barack Obama. Yale: William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush. Columbia: Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Barack Obama. Princeton: James Madison, Woodrow Wilson. University of Pennsylvania: William Henry Harrison, Donald Trump. (Several presidents attended more than one school.)

Decades later, the phrase “Public Ivy” was coined.  It was first used by author Richard Moll in his 1985 book, “Public Ivies: A Guide to America’s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities.”  He named eight public universities where students could get a top-notch education for a fraction of the cost of their prestigious private counterparts: College of William and Mary (VA), Miami University (OH), University of California, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, University of Texas – Austin, University of Vermont, University of Virginia. 

Thirty-seven years later, some of these same institutions still head the list of Top Public National Universities, according to the 2022 edition of “Best Colleges” by U.S. News and World Report.  Its latest rankings top the list with University of California (Los Angeles and Berkeley), University of Michigan, University of Virginia, University of California - Santa Barbara, University of Florida, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, University of California (San Diego and Irvine).

College of William and Mary and University of Texas – Austin, while no longer in the top eight, are currently among the 15 highest ranked public national universities.  

Students who pay full price, without need-based or merit aid, often find that the cost of attending a prestigious in-state public university is tens of thousands of dollars less each year than that of attending an Ivy League institution. For example, the expected cost for the 2022-23 academic year at University of California – Los Angeles (for in-state students, covering tuition, room and board) is $31,035, while the fees at Harvard total $76,763.

It’s wise for students to compare all aspects of potential colleges, including academic reputations and financial commitments, when making their big decision.

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362