The Ivy League universities are surrounded by a folkloric mystique; they inspire images of ivy-covered brick buildings, youth in cardigans and tortoise-rimmed glasses, and lecture-halls filled with rows upon rows of geniuses-in-the-making. The name itself exudes prestige, exclusivity, power. They are the schools everyone wants to attend, and sometimes the only schools international students will consider worth attending in the USA. But, who is the Ivy League, really? How did they get their reputation, and are they really the only schools operating at that level?

What schools are part of the Ivy League, and how did they get there?

There are eight universities in the Ivy League. They are:

• Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island
• Columbia University in New York City, New York
• Cornell University in Ithaca, New York
• Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire
• Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts
• University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey
• Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut

While the Ivy League universities share many factors in common – such as large endowments, a lengthy history, and geographical zone – there are many other schools that meet these requirements as well. In fact, Stanford University has a larger endowment than Dartmouth, Columbia, and Cornell combined. While Harvard is the oldest university in the United States, William & Mary and St. John’s College were not far behind – and both came before Yale. There are plenty of other universities in the northeast with prestige, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Carnegie Mellon University. So why are these eight schools part of the Ivy League?

The short answer: good ol’ Friday Night Lights. The Ivy League was founded in 1954 as an athletic conference, much like the Big Ten in 1896. It may shock some to realize, but it’s true: the Ivy League is less than 100 years old!

But the long answer is more complicated than this. Seven of the eight Ivy League institutions were founded before the American Revolution, and Cornell was founded at the conclusion of the American Civil War. This means they had a strong influence over the development of higher education institutions across the country as it expanded west and south. They were role models and pattern-makers.

So what makes the Ivy League so great?

The Ivy League universities are devoted to providing not only a competitive athletic presence, but also excellence in academic instruction, and to producing new knowledge for the world. University of Pennsylvania, for example, has a larger graduate student population than undergraduate. These institutions are hotbeds of intellectual activity, scientific research, ethnographic inquiry, and more. Every member is an R1 university, meaning they spend an extensive amount of money to fund research. Their faculty is the best of the best, and typically comes from peer R1 institutions. Their deep endowments enable them to provide opportunities for their students that other institutions can’t. Ivy League universities have consistently been ranked within the top 20 spots, often taking the top three, in the U.S. News and World Reports ranking list. Their historical ties to community, the global academic world, and the American imagination have resulted in them being the most desirable universities to attend.

What about Ivy+, Little Ivies, or Public Ivy schools?

Other groupings have formed in recent history to denote schools that are not included in the athletic conference, but offer academics that match those of the Ivy League.

• Ivy+ schools are private institutions (like the Ivy League) that have similarly high endowments, extreme selectivity in admissions, and quality research. These lists often include Stanford University, Duke University, University of Chicago, and MIT.
• Little Ivies are private liberal arts colleges with historical foundings, social ties to the Ivy League, and large endowments. These lists often include Amherst College, Wesleyan University, and Colby College.
• The Seven Sisters are private liberal arts colleges that were historically women’s colleges. These schools had deep social ties to the Ivy League universities, especially before they became co-educational. Men from Columbia, for example, would visit Barnard College for dances and socials to meet women students. The Seven Sisters are Mount Holyoke College, Vassar College, Wellesley College, Smith College, Radcliffe College, Bryn Mawr College, and Barnard College.
• Public Ivies are flagship public institutions that offer academics that match the quality of the Ivy League. These lists often include the University of California system, University of Virginia, and University of Texas at Austin.

Aside from the “Seven Sisters,” these lists are largely arbitrary and have no official or historical basis. As online listicles, college rankings, and bloggers muddy the waters, be sure to remember to have a critical eye toward anyone slinging around the name “Ivy”. The reality is, every university – even within the Ivy League itself – has its own academic strengths and weaknesses, goals, and philosophies toward pedagogy and service. When building a college list, it’s important to stay grounded and remember that just because a university is a member of the Ivy League doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for you.

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