In recent years, the Ivy League has faced criticism for its admissions policies, grade inflation, and response to on-campus protests. As a result, Forbes has identified a new set of top universities known as the “New Ivies.” These schools, both public and private, focus on producing smart, driven graduates who are in high demand by employers. The New Ivies were selected based on criteria such as high standardized test scores and selectivity in admissions.
The survey conducted by Forbes excluded the traditional Ivy League schools and their equivalents, including Stanford, MIT, Duke, and the University of Chicago. After screening 1,743 colleges, the New Ivies were chosen based on criteria such as high standardized test scores, selectivity in admissions, and reliance on objective measures of success. The survey also took into account input from hiring managers to determine the reputation and quality of graduates from these schools.
The list of New Ivies includes well-known institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Michigan, which are already considered to be on par with Ivy League schools in terms of academic excellence. Other schools, such as Vanderbilt, Rice, and Emory, are referred to as “Southern Ivies” and are gaining recognition for their high-achieving graduates. New additions to the list, like New York’s Binghamton University, are also gaining attention for producing top-tier graduates.
Public institutions like the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill are among the New Ivies, attracting high-achieving students and producing highly-regarded employees. Private schools like Washington University in St. Louis and Georgetown University are also included in the list, receiving praise from employers and industry professionals for their caliber of graduates. Overall, the New Ivies represent a shift in the landscape of higher education, focusing on producing graduates that are sought after by employers and seen as equivalent to traditional Ivy League graduates.
By identifying and highlighting the New Ivies, Forbes aims to bring attention to the top universities that are producing the smartest and most driven graduates in the country. These schools offer a meritocratic seal of approval that is highly valued by employers, investors, and even voters. As the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, the New Ivies provide a new standard of academic excellence and graduate success that rivals the traditional Ivy League institutions.
