Public Ivies 2022

On the other hand, the University of Texas’ Plan II Honors Program offers a liberal arts-style interdisciplinary curriculum and special social opportunities like student dinners and reading groups (freshman class size: 175).

Public Ivy League Schools

As you think about college and what that experience might look like for you, does your vision include big, beautiful, ivy-covered buildings? Do you see yourself bundled up to survive those East coast winters, studying in hundred-year-old libraries, and being a proud member of one of the eight schools that make up the Ivy League?

Sounds like an amazing college experience!

Does your vision also include steep tuition costs and acceptance rates in the single digits? We’re guessing it doesn’t, and that’s great, too! You can still have an Ivy League experience without the Ivy League costs … we give you the Public Ivy League Schools!

• What is a public ivy?
• What are the public ivy league schools?
  • Midwest Public Ivies
  • Mid-Atlantic Public Ivies
  • Northeast Public Ivies
  • South Public Ivies
  • West Public Ivies

  What is a public ivy?

  Before we explain what a Public Ivy is, we should probably explain what a Private Ivy is.

  The Ivy League is a collection of eight private universities (which means they are not funded by the government), all of them in the Northeastern United States, and some of the most selective colleges and universities in the country. These schools—Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, and Yale—are known for their academic excellence, the wide range of opportunities they offer students for academic specialization, and a campus culture that encourages students to participate in the school community outside of the classroom.

  They are also known for very low acceptance rates (they are often referred to as “highly-rejective” schools)), very expensive tuition, and the geographic limitations they pose.

  Public Ivies, on the other hand, are located all over the United States, tend to cost less, and still offer an educational experience on par with the Private Ivies. The schools identified as Public Ivy schools are still academically rigorous, still have high standards for acceptance, still offer the chance for students to specialize their education, and still offer a campus culture similar to that of Private Ivies.

  The main difference between Public Ivies and Private Ivies is that Public Ivies are funded by the government, which often means lower costs and a much higher acceptance rate. There are some other key differences we’ll fill you in on, but the important thing to remember is that Public Ivies can offer an amazing alternative to Private Ivies and we hope you’ll consider them!

  What are the public ivy league schools?

  The term “Public Ivy” first popped up in 1985 in a book called The Public Ivies: A Guide to America’s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities. At the time, eight schools were included on this list:

  • College of William and Mary
  • Miami University
  • UNC Chapel Hill
  • U of Michigan
  • U of Texas at Austin
  • U of Vermont
  • U of Virginia
  • The ENTIRE University of California system (UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz)

  But this list has grown, and you have so many more options now if you are interested in a Public Ivy school! In 2001, an expanded list of Public Ivy schools was published in The Public Ivies: America’s Flagship Public Universities. Here is the full list, arranged by geographical region:

  Midwest Public Ivies

  • Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
  • Miami University (OH)
  • Michigan State University (MI)
  • Ohio State University (OH)
  • U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (IL)
  • U of Iowa (IA)
  • U of Michigan (MI)
  • U of Minnesota (MN)
  • U of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

  Mid-Atlantic Public Ivies

  • College of William and Mary (VA)
  • U of Delaware (DE)
  • U of Maryland (MD)
  • U of Virginia (VA)

  Northeast Public Ivies

  • Binghamton University (NY)
  • Pennsylvania State at University Park (PA)
  • Rutgers University – New Brunswick (NJ)
  • U of Connecticut (CT)

  South Public Ivies

  • UNC Chapel Hill (NC)
  • U of Florida (FL)
  • U of Georgia (GA)
  • U of Texas at Austin (TX)

  West Public Ivies

  • University of California system (CA)
  • The University of Arizona (AZ)
  • U of Colorado Boulder (CO)
  • U of Washington (WA)

  As you can see, Public Ivies are located all over the U.S.!

  If sunny California is more your speed, look no further than the UCs! If the Midwest feel of Michigan is right up your alley, the Public Ivies have got you! If you know deep down in your heart that you belong deep in the heart of Texas, go for it! So many options!

  Major differences between Public Ivies and Ivy League schools

  Cost

  Let’s face it … in an ideal world, cost would have no bearing on where you go to college. But the reality is that tuition rates are an important consideration for many students and their families. And this where Public Ivies have the advantage over Private Ivies (especially for in-state students).

  For the 2022-2023 school year for example, in-state tuition for Public Ivy schools ranged from just over $22,000/year to about $43,000/year. When compared to the $70,000-$80,000/year tuition at Private Ivies, the Public Ivies look really attractive, right? Especially because you can get the same caliber of education at Public Ivies.

  Having said that, out-of-state tuition at some Public Ivies can reach Private Ivy levels. For example, out-of-state tuition at some University of California schools can run you close to $70,000/year. This is pretty steep. But this also isn’t the case across the board, and out-of-state tuition for many Public Ivy schools is still significantly less than the cost of attending an Ivy League school.

  Financial aid

  Because Public Ivies depend on state funding (as opposed to the private endowments that Private Ivies enjoy), Public Ivies tend to offer less financial aid, and the total amount of financial aid the Public Ivies can offer sometimes fluctuates from year to year.

  Again, being an in-state student applying to a Public Ivy school gives you an advantage here since much of the financial aid is set aside for in-state students. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t apply to a Public Ivy that is not in your state since there are some other ways to get financial help (check out our guide to paying for college), but we think it’s good for you to know that Public Ivies focus much of their financial aid on applicants who live in their state.

  Reputation

  “Reputation” is kind of a weird thing when it comes to colleges and universities since this can mean different things to different people. For example, while it is true that Ivy League schools enjoy stellar reputations for the academic experience they offer students, it’s a little hard to quantify a school’s reputation based on this because “academic experience” is a pretty broad idea.

  When it comes to Public Ivy schools and their reputations, perhaps the thing to consider is that these schools have a range of things for which they have good reputations. Some of the Public Ivies are considered academically rigorous across the board, while others are known for specific areas of study. Some Public Ivies enjoy prestige because of their faculty while others rank up there for the breadth of academic opportunities they offer their students.

  Our advice is to not get too caught up in a school’s “reputation.” Public Ivies are on the list because they can offer an education comparable to that found at Private Ivies, so the important things to consider are what specific Public Ivy schools can offer you and what is important to you as part of your college education. As with any school you’re considering, we encourage you to do your research, talk to current students if you can, and be clear from the start what your priorities and values are (here’s our step-by-step guide to choosing a college).

  Selectivity

  The selectivity of a school often goes hand-in-hand with its reputation, and the competitiveness of Public Ivies can vary.

  Some University of California schools, for example, accept around 10% of their undergraduate applicants, while other Public Ivies like the University of Delaware accept upwards of 60% of its applicants.

  There are a number of factors that impact how selective Public Ivies are. Many Public Ivy schools must accept a certain percent of in-state applicants, which makes things a little tougher for out-of-state applicants.

  A lot also depends on how many students apply to a Public Ivy in any given year. Typically, the larger the applicant pool, the lower the acceptance rate. And as more and more students discover the benefits of Public Ivies, more and more students are also applying to these excellent schools.

  That said, Public Ivies typically still have higher acceptance rates than Private Ivies, which often hover under 10% or lower (hi, Harvard).

  Size and location

  Public Ivies tend to have a higher number of students than Private Ivies, so if having smaller class sizes and enjoying a more intimate environment on campus is important to you, this is definitely something to consider.

  Since Public Ivies typically admit a greater number of students, they also have larger student populations. This often means more people in each class, a higher student to teacher ratio, and the bustle that comes with a busier campus. And maybe this sounds perfect to you! A larger number of students doesn’t mean a diminished educational experience … it just means a different educational experience.

  Another important factor to consider is the physical location of where you want to go to school. Private Ivy schools are all on the East coast, so you don’t have a lot of geographical options if you’re thinking about one of these eight schools.

  But Public Ivies give you a lot of options since they are all over the United States. Again, in-state applicants do have a slight edge, but Public Ivies also accept many out-of-state applicants, and they give you geographical choices that Private Ivies do not.

  What is a Public Ivy?

  A guide to the top public colleges—and why one of them might be the right choice for your child

  

  Part 1: Introduction

  Part 2: Major differences between Public Ivies and Ivy League schools

  Part 3: Which schools are Public Ivies?

  Part 4: How to think about which public universities your child should apply to

  Part 1: Introduction

  When parents think of colleges with reputations for excellence, Ivy League schools usually top the list. In addition to providing quality educations, the eight Ivy League schools—Harvard, Yale, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Columbia—are well known as highly selective, private institutions.

  But many parents are unaware of a lesser-known alternative that offers the prestige and academic rigor of an Ivy League school: the Public Ivy.

  The term “Public Ivy” was coined in 1985 by Richard Moll, then the dean of admissions at the University of California–Santa Cruz, in his book Public Ivies: A Guide to America’s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities. Moll considered the eight schools in his book Public Ivies because they provided an educational experience on par with the Ivy League, often at a fraction of the price.

  Over thirty-five years later, subsequent lists have been published using different criteria to determine which schools should be awarded the title. Today, any given school’s status as a Public Ivy is up for debate, but generally speaking, a Public Ivy is a public college or university with a reputation for academic excellence that provides a college experience similar to an Ivy League school.

  Part 2: Major differences between Public Ivies and Ivy League schools

  When comparing the experience of attending a Public Ivy to the experience of attending an Ivy League school, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.

  Public Ivies tend to be larger than Ivy League schools

  One significant difference is typically size, both in terms of a school’s overall undergraduate population and its student-faculty ratio. For the most part, Public Ivies tend to have undergraduate populations in the tens of thousands while most Ivy League schools enroll under 7,000 undergraduates.

  For example, UCLA currently reports just over 32,000 undergraduates and a student-faculty ratio of 18:1, whereas Princeton’s undergraduate population is usually around 5,300, giving it a much lower student-faculty ratio of 5:1.

  Lower student-faculty ratios are often considered desirable since they mean that a student is more likely to receive individualized attention from their professors. On the other hand, larger undergraduate populations tend to be more diverse and have a wider range of extracurricular and social activities for students to participate in. Classes at a big school may fill up more quickly, but there will typically also be a larger course catalog to choose from.

  Your child will ultimately want to consider their own academic and social needs when considering school size, as well as do individualized research on specific schools. It might surprise you to learn that, in some situations, an Ivy League school may actually be bigger than a Public Ivy. For instance, the College of William & Mary has an undergraduate population of around 6,700 while Cornell’s student body is just over 16,000.

  That said, many Public Ivies offer more intimate or advanced programs nestled within them, which provide students with a smaller community as well as special academic and social opportunities. Often known as “honors programs” or “honors colleges,” these programs can range in scope from primarily academic to those that encompass both residential life and coursework.

  An example of the latter can be found in the University of Michigan’s Residential College, where a select group of students live and take classes, often focused in the humanities and arts, in the same building (freshman class size: 250).

  On the other hand, the University of Texas’ Plan II Honors Program offers a liberal arts-style interdisciplinary curriculum and special social opportunities like student dinners and reading groups (freshman class size: 175).

  Public Ivies encompass a wider range of academic reputations

  Though challenging academic programs can be found at any Public Ivy, it’s worth keeping in mind that some Public Ivies are recognized as all-around academic powerhouses, comparable to an Ivy League school, while others may be renowned for a particular program or department.

  A great example of the former is UC Berkeley, which is considered among the best universities in the country with high-ranking programs across a wide variety of disciplines. In contrast, Georgia Tech is a top school for engineering and UC San Diego is lauded for its biology department.

  It’s always a good idea to research any school your child may be interested in attending. This includes speaking with current students and faculty members, touring the campus, and browsing the school’s website to understand its various program offerings.

  Public Ivies are usually more affordable, especially for in-state students

  One attractive quality of Public Ivies is their comparatively low tuition rates, especially for in-state applicants. Of the schools that we list as Public Ivies below, the 2022–2023 costs of attendance (i.e. tuition, fees, room, board, and more) for in-state students range from $26,118 at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill to $46,168 at UC Berkeley.

  The majority of Public Ivies currently charge between $30,000 and $35,000 per year for in-state students. When compared to the sticker price of nearly any private college or university, where the typical costs of attendance are upwards of $70,000 or even $80,000 per year, it’s undeniable that in-state tuition at a Public Ivy is hugely cost effective.

  However, if your child wishes to attend a top Public Ivy like the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, or UC Berkeley as an out-of-state student, you may pay around $70,000 a year, which is on par with tuition at many private schools.

  That said, out-of-state tuition at some Public Ivies is still significantly lower than at comparable private institutions. For example, UNC–Chapel Hill currently charges $54,352 for out-of-state students. When compared with similarly ranked Tufts, which costs $84,500 per year, this is an excellent deal.

  If your child is able to attend a Public Ivy in your home state, this may be the most affordable way for them to receive a high-quality education. If there are no Public Ivies in your state but your child is committed to attending one, they should research financial aid options, which may defray the cost of attendance as an out-of-state student.

  Public Ivies may not offer as much financial aid as Ivy League schools, particularly to out-of-state students

  On the whole, Public Ivies tend to offer less generous financial aid than top-tier private colleges and universities, which often have substantial endowments and aren’t dependent on ever-changing state funding.

  In some cases, need-based financial aid at Public Ivies is largely reserved for in-state students, though other scholarship opportunities may still be available for out-of-state students. UC Berkeley, for instance, does not grant need-based financial aid to out-of-state students, though out-of-state students may still be eligible for other types of aid, such as the Prospective Regents and Chancellor’s Scholarships.

  Nevertheless, some Public Ivies do offer financial aid to out-of-state students as well. For instance, the University of Virginia promises to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need for both in-state and out-of-state applicants alike.

  The competitiveness of Public Ivy admissions varies by school and residency status

  Acceptance rates among Public Ivies vary quite a bit. For instance, UCLA admits 8.8 percent of its applicants (and fewer every year), while the College of William & Mary admits 33 percent, and Georgia Tech admits 17 percent. Most Public Ivies tend to have rates somewhere in the 10–30 percent range.

  However, even the most selective Public Ivy has a higher acceptance rate than that of any Ivy League university, which generally sit in the single digits, sinking as low as four percent. Though selectivity and prestige are often correlated, it’s worth keeping in mind that there’s more to acceptance rates than meets the eye.

  Acceptance rates are affected by the sizes of incoming classes, which are almost always much larger at Public Ivies, and the number of applications received, which is typically much higher at world-famous universities like Harvard or Yale.

  Nevertheless, competition for acceptance into many Public Ivies has grown increasingly stiff, particularly as these schools become more desirable to out-of-state applicants. Many public universities are required to accept a certain percentage of in-state applicants, which typically puts out-of-state applicants at a disadvantage. That’s why, when evaluating acceptance rates at Public Ivies, it’s a good idea to research what admissions policies your state’s Public Ivy has in regard to in-state and out-of-state applicants.

  The University of Virginia, for instance, caps its out-of-state population at one-third of its entire student body, which means that acceptance rates are significantly higher for in-state students (28 percent vs. just 15 percent for non-Virginians). Likewise, Georgia Tech accepts far less out of state students (36 percent vs 12 percent for non-Georgians), even though they have no official cap.

  Another example lies in the University of Texas–Austin, which is known for its unique policy of automatically admitting residents who graduate in the top 6 percent of their high school class, undeniably good news for many high-performing Texans. However, because state law requires that at least 75 percent of in-state freshman at UT gain acceptance through the “top 6” policy, in-state and out-of-state students who apply via the traditional route face significantly steeper odds than the 31 percent acceptance rate otherwise suggests.