Ivy League Rankings What Do They Really Mean

Ivy League Rankings What Do They Really Mean SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Ivy League colleges are often viewed as the gold standard of colleges in the US and worldwide. While most people know that all Ivy League schools are good, which are the best Ivy League schools? Now you can find out with my exclusive 2019 Ivy League rankings. Get excited! In this article, I'll rank the Ivy League schools. Furthermore, I'll describe what makes the Ivy League unique, explain how to find the Ivy League school that's right for you, and give you advice on how to decide whether you should pursue an Ivy League education. What Is the Ivy League? The Ivy League is the term used to refer to the eight schools that make up the Ivy League athletic conference. Below is the complete Ivy League schools list in alphabetical order: Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania Yale University Ivy League schools are all extremely selective private colleges in the Northeast. Also, the Ivy League is the onlyNCAA Division I athletic conference that doesn’t award athletic scholarships. The term Ivy League has become synonymous with extremely prestigious, highly selective colleges. For this reason, many people incorrectly label other prestigious private colleges, such as MIT and Stanford, as Ivy League schools. Stanford's Memorial Church is impressive, but Stanford isn't in the Ivy League. (Justin Kern/Flickr) How I Ranked the Ivy League Colleges It’s difficult to rank the Ivy League colleges against one another because they’re all outstanding schools.There's really no consensus about which Ivy League school is the best, and each ranking list seems to rank the Ivies differently. To determine my Ivy League rankings, I looked at the ranking lists onUS News, Forbes, and Niche. Each list differed from the others, so thoughthere’s no consensus about how to rank Ivy League schools, there is general agreement that all Ivy League schools are among the best colleges in the country.I averaged these three rankings but counted the US News rankings twice, since this list isthe most prestigious and most commonly cited of all college ranking lists. For a more thorough breakdown of the methodologies used to determine how schools are ranked for each list, check out my article on all the college ranking lists you should read. I think these three lists complement each other well because they emphasize different aspects of colleges that contribute to overall school quality. Of these lists,US Newsmost strongly emphasizes the academic reputations of colleges. The academic reputation of a school iswhat education experts think of the academics at a particular college. US News gives a peer assessment survey to university presidents, provosts, and deans of admissions to help rate academic quality. It also surveys high school counselors across the US. The Forbes list most heavily emphasizes student outcomes, factoring inalumni salaries, the amount of debt students have upon graduating, student loan default rate, and even prestigious professional accomplishments from alumni, such as winning an Oscar or Nobel Prize. Finally, the Niche list most heavily emphasizes quality of life. While Niche also incorporates academic reputation and measurements of student outcomes into its rankings, unlike the other two lists, Niche takes into account the quality of campus housing, athletics, technology, the party scene, and diversity. Want to get into Harvard, Princeton, or your personal top choice college? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Here come the rankings! Hooray! (Antoine Butler/Flickr) Ivy League Schools, Ranked (2019) Here are my 2019 rankings of the Ivy League schools. I created a table with each school's ranking, location, and undergraduate enrollment.The average ranking is based on counting the school's US News ranking twice.You can click on each school's link to see the average high school GPA of admitted applicants, its standardized test scores, and its acceptance rate. Note thatUS News separates colleges into four categories(National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges) for its ranking lists. All the Ivy League colleges are considered National Universities,so each school's ranking is being compared with those of all other colleges in the National Universities category. School Location Undergrad Enrollment US News Ranking Forbes Ranking Niche Ranking Average Ranking* Harvard University Cambridge, MA 6,766 2 1 3 2 Princeton University Princeton, NJ 5,394 1 5 5 3 Yale University New Haven, CT 5,746 3 2 4 3 Columbia University New York, NY 6,162 3 15 7 7 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 10,033 8 7 6 7.25 Brown University Providence, RI 6,988 14 8 9 11.25 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 4,410 12 9 19 13 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14,907 16 13 21 16.5 *As a reminder, the US News ranking for each school is counted twice due to the prominence of the US News ranking list. What Can You Determine From These Ivy League Rankings? As you probably know, Ivy League colleges have extremely good reputations.All Ivies are ranked in the top 16 National Universities by US News.In terms of numerical rankings, there isn't much distinction among Ivy League schools, but there are some notable differences. In most Ivy League rankings, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale are at the top.They're the topIvy League schools and some of the very bestcolleges in the US. They're comparable to top-tier non-Ivy League schools such as Stanford and MIT.There's probably some debate about which schools compose the next tier of Ivy League schools, but, based on my rankings, I would put Columbia, Penn, and Brown in the second tier.Their academic reputations aren't quite as established as those of the first-tier schools, and as a whole they're slightly less selective. Comparable non-Ivy League schools include Duke and Caltech. The finaltier of Ivy League schools would be Dartmouth and Cornell.Cornell has the highest acceptance rate of all Ivy League institutions (but it still only admits 13% of its applicants). Non-Ivy League schools that are comparable to Dartmouth and Cornell in terms of quality include Northwestern and Vanderbilt. Remember that rankings are subjective, but they can reveal how colleges are viewed by employers, graduate schools, and the general public.Even though Harvard and Cornell are both incredibly prestigious schools where you can receive a world-class education and become part of a successful alumni network, the general consensus is that Harvard is the better school. Matt Damon went to Harvard, but he left a little early to do the acting thing. How to Decide Which Ivy League School Is Right for You Many of the Ivy League schools are extremely similar. They’re private schools of similar sizes with excellent academic reputations. In addition, they are all located in the same region of the US, they all have large endowments, and they all tend to offer generous financial aid. If you’re interested in attending an Ivy, you’ll have to do extensive research to determine which Ivy League school is right for you.You can use college finders, search websites, guidebooks, and other ranking lists to try to find the best Ivy for you. Here are four factors to keep in mind as you research the Ivy League: #1: Setting One of the biggest differences between Ivy League schools is their settings.Figure out whether you want to go to school in an urban, suburban, or ruralarea.The urban Ivy League schools include Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, and the University of Pennsylvania. However, they’re all in cities of very different types and sizes. In terms of urban environments, Columbia is in New York City- the most densely populated city in the US- while UPenn is situated in Philadelphia, another large city. By contrast, Brown is in the small city of Providence, Rhode Island, offering a much more subdued environment. Similarly, Harvard is in a college town called Cambridge, which is located just outside of Boston. And Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut, which has a population of just 130,000 compared with the roughly 8.4 million people in NYC. Princeton is the only Ivy League school in a suburban setting.It's more self-contained and the surrounding area is quieter than those of other Ivies. Naturally, there are far fewer entertainment options and cultural attractions than you would find in a large city (though more than you'd find in a rural area). Princeton is only an hour from Philadelphia and an hour and a half from NYC. Cornell and Dartmouth offer students a rural environment,where students are surrounded by nature and there's not much going on in the town unrelated to the college. Rural colleges tend to provide more of a community atmosphere, but there are usually fewer jobs and internships in the vicinity. A student who'd really enjoy being in the urban environment of Columbia might not enjoy the rural setting of Dartmouth, and vice versa. Be sure to think deeply about which type of setting you'd feel most comfortable in. #2: Academic Programs, Majors, and Requirements While all Ivy League schools are strong in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM, each offers different programs, general education requirements, majors, and concentrations. For example, Cornell is the only Ivy to offer a business management program with a focus on hospitality through its School of Hotel Administration. Meanwhile, Penn is home toone of the most prestigious business schools in the US and offers a number of undergraduate business majors that aren’t available at other Ivies. Lastly, Columbia has extensive general education requirements in its Core Curriculum, whereas Brown has very few. If you have an intended major or area of study, compare the majors and course offerings at the different Ivies to ensure that you’ll be able to pursue your academic interests. #3: Size The size of the school is a factor to consider as well.While most Ivy League schools are a similar size, there aresome differences to be aware of. If you're deciding between Cornell and Dartmouth, for instance, keep in mind that Cornell's undergraduate enrollment is about three times the size of Dartmouth's. While some students prefer a larger, more vibrant atmosphere, others would enjoy a smaller, more tight-knit community. #4: Campus Culture Finally,consider the campus culture of each school. DifferentIvy League schools have different reputations in regard to the types of students they attract and admit. Princeton students are often viewed as more preppy, for example, whereas Brown students are perceived as more progressive. Some stereotypes might be more accurate than others. Read guidebooks, talk to current students or alumni, andvisit the campusesto get an idea of the culture and to determine whether you'd fit in. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Do your college research. Is the Ivy League (or Another Top-Tier School) Right for You? When finalizing your list of colleges, remember that Ivy League colleges are reach schools for almost everybody who applies to them.The odds of getting into an Ivy are low, regardless of your academic resume and extracurricular activities. If you want toget into an Ivy League school, you have to be extremely dedicated.For more tips, check out our other Ivy League-related guides: How Many AP Classes Do You Need for Ivy League Schools? Which High School Classes Do Ivy League Schools Require? SAT Subject Test Scores for the Ivy League What’s a Good SAT/ACT Score for the Ivy League? Good SAT Scores: Ivy League Plus Edition Although there are undeniable benefits of attending an Ivy League college, some students might find that the sacrifices they have to make aren’t worth it.As long as you’re motivated and have a good work ethic, you can be successful in life regardless of the college you attend. You might decide to take a less challenging class schedule or spend more time with friends. Doing all of this might decrease your overall chances of getting into an Ivy League school, but it's important to consider what makes you happy and what will let you enjoy your high school experience.On the other hand, if you’re willing to put in the necessary work to gain admission to an Ivy League school and are determined to attend a top college, you’ll have to be extremely committed to be able to make this happen.The process to get into an Ivy begins early in your high school career- well before you evenapply to college.Ultimately, with enough determination and hard work, you might be abl e to give yourself a realistic shot of getting into an Ivy League college. Even if you don’t get accepted to an Ivy, chances are that you’ll still be able to attend a selective, prestigious college. Good luck! What's Next? Want to go to a top college but don't want to attend school in the Northeast? Then check out my other articles on the best colleges in the South and Midwest. To help identify schools that you have a good chance of getting into, read our guide on target schools. I also recommend taking a peek at our guide on how to set your SAT/ACT target score based on the colleges you're applying to. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: