Washington University

Washington University in St. Louis is one of the most selective and highly-ranked universities in the Midwest. Indeed, for both the quality of its programs and the strength of its students, Washington University is comparable to many of the East Coast Ivy League universities (with, Wash U would argue, a bit more Midwest friendliness). Washington University was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences, and it is a member of the AAU. Every undergraduate at Washington University belongs to a residential college, creating a small-college atmosphere within this mid-sized university.

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private university located a little over a mile from downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The university tends to place well in national rankings with particular strengths in education, law, medicine, and business. Because of its strong emphasis on research, Vanderbilt is a member of the Association of American Universities. Its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. In athletics, Vanderbilt is the only private university in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference.

Rice University

Rice University earns its reputation as a "Southern Ivy." Located in Houston, Texas, the university boasts a multi-billion-dollar endowment, a 5 to 1 ratio of undergraduates to faculty members, a median class size of 15, and a residential college system modeled after Oxford. Admissions are highly competitive, with roughly 75% of students coming from the top 5% of their class. Rice has won high marks for its diversity and value. In athletics, the Rice Owls compete in the NCAA Division I Conference USA (C-USA). Rice has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and it is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Notre Dame University

The University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, near South Bend and about 90 miles east of Chicago. The university boasts that its undergraduate alumni have earned more doctorates than any other Catholic university. The University of Notre Dame is highly selective and has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Roughly 70% of accepted students rank in the top 5% of their high school class. The university's 1,250 acre campus has two lakes and 137 buildings including Main Building with its well known Golden Dome. In athletics, many Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.

Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a large, competitive, private university located on a 240-acre campus in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb community just north of Chicago on the shore of lake Michigan. Northwestern has a rare balance of exceptional academics and athletics. It is the only private university in the Big Ten athletic conference. For its strengths in research and instruction, Northwestern earned membership in the Association of American Universities. For its strong liberal arts and sciences, the university was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Be sure to compare the Big Ten schools.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins has multiple campuses in the Baltimore area, but the majority of undergraduate programs are housed in the attractive red-brick Homewood Campus in the northern part of the city. Johns Hopkins is best-known for its professional programs in the health sciences, international relations and engineering. However, prospective students shouldn't underestimate the quality of the liberal arts and sciences. With a multi-billion dollar endowment and 10:1 student / faculty ratio, a teaching and research powerhouse. These strengths have earned Hopkins a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and membership in the AAU.

Georgetown University

Georgetown is a private Jesuit university in Washington, D.C. The school's location in the capital has contributed to its sizable international student population, and the popularity of the International Relations major. Bill Clinton stands out among Georgetown's notable alumni. Over half of Georgetown students take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities, and the university recently opened a campus in Qatar. For strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Georgetown was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. On the athletic front, the Georgetown Hoyas compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.

Emory University

Emory is a highly-ranked research university in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The school was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, and Emory is a member of the elite Association of American Universities for research strengths. Most of Emory's undergrads go to Emory College on the main campus, but about 700 students begin in a two-year liberal arts program at Oxford College in the small town of Oxford, Georgia. Emory's multi-billion-dollar endowment ranks with many Ivy League universities and helps support its strong schools of medicine, theology, law, nursing, and public health. The prestigious Goizueta Business School can boast of faculty members such as former President Jimmy Carter. On the athletic front, the Emory Eagles compete in the NCAA Division III University Athletic Association. Emory's general excellent earned it a place on my lists of top Georgia colleges, top southeastern colleges, best universities, and top business schools.

University of Chicago

Located in Hyde Park, about 7 miles from downtown Chicago, the University of Chicago is one of the top-ranking universities in the U.S. Although the school has almost twice as many graduate students as undergrads, the undergraduate programs are highly respected and a significant majority of students go on to graduate school. Social sciences, sciences, and humanities are all strong. The university can boast of a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and membership in the Association of American Universities. First-year students at the University of Chicago reside in one of 38 "houses" which serve as the center of student life.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is best known for its top-ranked science and engineering programs, but prospective students shouldn't underestimate the school's strengths in the arts and sciences as well. CMU is a highly-selective, mid-sized university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and it is a member of the American Association of Universities.

Stanford University

Stanford is usually considered the best school on the west coast, as well as one of the finest research and teaching universities in the world. Stanford is just as competitive as the best universities in the Northeast, but with its Spanish architecture and mild Californian climate, you won’t mistake it for the Ivy League. Stanford's strengths in research and teaching have earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and membership in the Association of American Universities. In athletics, Stanford University competes in the NCAA Division I Pacific 12 Conference.

Duke University

Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is one of the most prestigious and competitive universities in the south, and it frequently ranked nationally among the top ten universities. Duke is part of the “research triangle” with UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The area boasts the highest concentration of PhDs and MDs in the world. Duke's strengths in research and instruction have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities, and its strong liberal arts and sciences earned Duke a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. The Duke Blue Devils compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference.

Princeton University

Princeton, a member of the Ivy League, often vies with Harvard for the top spot on national rankings of top universities. Located in a town of about 30,000 people, Princeton’s beautiful 500-acre campus sits about an hour away from both New York City and Philadelphia. Princeton's strengths in research have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. For its strong liberal arts and sciences, the university was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

University of Pennsylvania

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, Penn should not be confused with Penn State or a public university. The University of Pennsylvania holds its own against the best of its Ivy League brethren. From Penn’s location in West Philadelphia, Center City is an easy walk across the Schuylkill river. With nearly 12,000 undergraduates and a similar number of graduate students, Penn has a diverse and bustling urban campus. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Penn was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and its strength in research has earned it membership in the Association of American Universities.

Brown University

Often considered the most liberal of the Ivy League schools, Brown is well known for its open curriculum in which students craft their own plan of study. Like Dartmouth, Brown has more of an undergraduate focus than other top-ranked universities. Brown is situated in Providence, the capitol of Rhode Island. Boston is only a short drive or train ride away. The university has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and it is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Dartmouth College

As the smallest of the Ivy League schools, Dartmouth provides the curricular breadth of its larger rivals with a feeling more like a liberal arts college. Dartmouth’s picturesque 269-acre campus is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, a town of 11,000. Dartmouth's strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Dartmouth leads the Ivy League for the percentage of students who study abroad. The college has 48 off-campus programs in over 20 countries. Dartmouth students are also active in athletics -- 75% of students participate in athletics of some sort. If visiting campus, be sure to check out the Hood Museum of Art, the Hopkins Center for the Arts, and the impressive Orozco mural in Baker Library.

Cornell University

Along with its excellent faculty and facilities, Cornell University boasts a beautiful location in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. The huge hillside campus overlooks Lake Cayuga and is crisscrossed by deep gorges and bridges. Cornell is unique among the Ivy League universities in that its agricultural program is part of the state school system. Cornell is well known for its schools of engineering and hotel management. Its strengths in research and instruction have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities, and Cornell can also boast of a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Columbia University

If you want an Ivy League education in a truly urban setting, be sure to take a look at Columbia. Its location in upper Manhattan places it right in the bustle of New York City. Columbia has extensive graduate programs—of its 22,000 students, over two-thirds are graduate students. Like all the Ivy League schools, Columbia's high level of research and instruction has earned it membership in the Association of American Universities, and its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Yale University

You are invited to view an illustrated timeline of Yale’s history in addition to reading the brief overview on this page.
Yale’s roots can be traced back to the 1640s, when colonial clergymen led an effort to establish a college in New Haven to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in the New World. This vision was fulfilled in 1701, when the charter was granted for a school “wherein Youth may be instructed in the Arts and Sciences [and] through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church and Civil State.” In 1718 the school was renamed “Yale College” in gratitude to the Welsh merchant Elihu Yale, who had donated the proceeds from the sale of nine bales of goods together with 417 books and a portrait of King George I.

Harvard at a Glance

Established

1636

Faculty

About 2,100 faculty members and more than 10,000 academic appointments in affiliated teaching hospitals

Students

Harvard College – About 6,700
Graduate and professional students – About 14,500
Total – About 21,000