Introducing the New Ivies

The Ivies are making headlines again, but not in a good way. Between shifting admissions policies, flip-flopping on the role of standardized tests (Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown, Yale—we’re looking at you!) noted grade inflation, rising tuition costs, and bungled responses to campus protests, it’s been a contentious season for these eight elite institutions. The response to on-campus pro-Palestinian protests has varied widely, from support and dialogue to administrative crackdowns, depending on the specific circumstances and institutional culture. This turmoil came to a head at Columbia University, which has cancelled its main graduation ceremony after weeks of protests at the Ivy League college’s campus, ending in police action and student arrests.

At the same time, Ivy League campuses continue to be scrutinized for fairness and diversity, with debates over affirmative action, legacy admissions, and socioeconomic diversity. Just last week, two university presidents, Ben Sasse of the University of Florida, and Michael Roth of Wesleyan University, wrote dueling Op-Eds in the New York Times (Roth) and Wall Street Journal (Sasse) in response to the declining faith in higher ed.

As public trust in the Ivy monopoly is tested, there has been a mounting energy around high quality state schools and private institutions that produce “hard working high achievers.” A recent article in Forbes highlights ongoing tensions and debates within Ivy League campuses and introduces the New Ivies—“the 10 public universities and 10 ascendant private ones turning out the smart, driven graduates craved by employers of all types.”

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INTRODUCING THE NEW IVIES

The Public Ivies:

Binghamton University (New York)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia)
University of Florida
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland-College Park
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
University of Texas-Austin
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Wisconsin)

Note: Military academies were not included in their analysis and the University of California universities were excluded as well because they don’t consider test scores.

The Private Ivies:

Boston College (Massachusetts)
Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania)
Emory University (Georgia)
Georgetown University (District of Columbia)
Johns Hopkins University (Maryland)
Northwestern University (Illinois)
Rice University (Texas)
University of Notre Dame (Indiana)
University of Southern California
Vanderbilt University (Tennessee)

Note: Forbes’ analysis excluded schools with fewer than 4,000 students, the “Ancient Eight,” and four Ivy-plus schools: Stanford, MIT, Duke, and the University of Chicago.

Who else should make this list? Let us know in the comments! If you enjoyed this post, follow us on Instagram @toptieradmissions for more tips and subscribe to our blog for expert insights & college admissions news!

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Dr. Elizabeth Doe Stone

President at Top Tier Admissions

A veteran college admissions consultant, Liz has over a decade of experience working with Top Tier Admissions. As President, she is responsible for managing all content, recruiting, product development, and partnerships to maintain Top Tier’s standards of excellence. In her capacity as a Senior Private Counselor, she has helped hundreds of students successfully navigate the college admissions process to earn spots at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and other selective schools. Liz pairs her extensive knowledge of the college admissions process with her experience as an educator to provide in-depth guidance with an empathetic approach.

Liz graduated Magna Cum Laude with high honors from Dartmouth College and earned her MA and PhD in Art History at the University of Virginia, where she taught undergraduate courses, earned the All-University Graduate Teaching Award, and received a Fulbright Research Grant.

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