What Are The Hidden Ivies? Are They Right For You?

What’s Covered:

• What Are the Hidden Ivies?
• How Were the Hidden Ivies Selected?
• Which Colleges are on the List?
• Strengths and Weaknesses of the Methodology
• Are the Hidden Ivies Right for You?

Attending an Ivy League university is the dream for many high school students. The prestigious group of eight highly selective institutions graduates some of the top leaders in their fields, from U.S. presidents to world-class engineers to Nobel Laureates. But the Ivies, which began as an athletic conference, are not the only excellent universities. 

There are many other extremely selective, highly sought-after institutions of equal caliber. Some are not as well known, while others have become on par with the Ivies in terms of status.

What Are the Hidden Ivies?

The so-called Hidden Ivies received their name from the eponymous book by Howard and Matthew Greene. Originally published in 2000, The Hidden Ivies is now in its third edition, which was released in 2016, and currently describes 63 notable schools, including small liberal arts colleges and top research universities across the U.S., in contrast to the Ivies, which are concentrated in the Northeast.

Public universities like the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Virginia are notably absent from the book. However, the Greenes discuss these so-called Public Ivies in The Public Ivies: America’s Flagship Public Universities.

How Were the Hidden Ivies Selected?

The authors’ intention in writing their book was to increase awareness and encourage academically talented students to apply to schools with prestigious, selective programs. Consistent with the criteria used to evaluate the members of the Ivy League, they considered factors like:

• Faculty: e.g., accessibility, academic preparation, work opportunities with undergraduates, the ratio of students to faculty, percentage of full-time faculty, diversity, and teacher training

• Resources: e.g., endowment size, library quality, technological sophistication, research facilities, residential life, athletic facilities, extracurricular programs, arts, and financial aid

• Educational and leadership team: e.g., backgrounds of members, mission, and institutional honor code

• Outcomes and ROI: e.g., graduation rates, median starting salaries,  average student debt, and graduate school placement

• Student body: e.g., school selectivity, support available, personality and culture, and prestige
  

Which Colleges are on the List?

The Hidden Ivies identifies 63 schools in total. Here are seven examples of those included:

Davidson College

Location: Davidson, NC

Acceptance Rate: 13%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,869

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1420/1510/31-34

Davidson College is a small liberal arts college boasting 31 majors, plus a “create your own” major option, and more than 40 minors. Central to the college’s culture is its Honor Code, which governs the community. Another program at the core of student life and academics is study abroad. By graduation, 65% of students participate in an overseas experience.

Learn more about Davidson College and what it takes to get accepted.

Johns Hopkins University

Location: Baltimore, MD

Acceptance Rate: 6%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 6,356

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1530-1560/34-36

Widely acknowledged as the first research university in the US, Johns Hopkins is best known for its medical school. In addition to graduating a number of future physicians, the undergraduate colleges within the larger university have excellent programs in international studies, creative writing, and many other disciplines. 

Learn more about Johns Hopkins University and what it takes to get accepted.

Macalester College

Location: Saint Paul, MN

Acceptance Rate: 28%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,068

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1350-1480/30-33

A Midwestern college with a diverse student body, Macalester is one of the few liberal arts schools that caters exclusively to undergraduates. The close-knit community draws students from 107 countries and 49 states to study disciplines like computer science, economics, and political science.

Learn more about Macalester College and what it takes to be accepted.

Oberlin College

Location: Oberlin, OH

Acceptance Rate: 34%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,896

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1370-1500/31-34

The oldest co-educational college in the US, Oberlin is a liberal arts school known equally for its academic college and Conservatory of Music; the oldest of its kind still in existence in the US. The college has a history of diversity, as the first in the country to admit Black students and women, and it remains true to its liberal idealism and culture of innovation.

Learn more about Oberlin College and what it takes to get accepted.

Vassar College

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY

Acceptance Rate: 19%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,462

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1460-1520/33-35

Formerly an all-women’s college and member of the Seven Sisters, Vassar became coeducational in 1969, the second all-women’s college to do so in the U.S. Today, it is famous for its flexible, innovative curriculum, student groups ranging from a circus troupe to club sports, and the natural beauty of the campus in upstate New York. 

Learn more about Vassar College and what it takes to get accepted.

Pomona College

Location: Claremont, CA

Acceptance Rate: 7%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,721

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1490-1550/32-34

Pomona is among the most selective institutions in the country, with one of the lowest acceptance rates of any liberal arts college in the U.S. One advantage of attending the school is that students have access to the more than 2,700 courses offered across the seven Claremont Colleges, along with the more than 850 offered at Pomona itself.

Learn more about Pomona College and what it takes to get accepted.

Washington University in St. Louis | WashU

Location: St. Louis, MO

Acceptance Rate: 12%

Undergraduate Enrollment: 8,220

Middle 50% SAT/ACT: 1500-1570/33/35

Washington University in St. Louis, also known as WashU, is home to four schools that accept undergraduates, along with its graduate schools: 

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Olin Business School
• Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
• McKelvey School of Engineering

Together, these schools house more than 100 programs, though it’s best known for being a top pre-med school. The university also has a thriving extracurricular life, with more than 400 student-run organizations.

Learn more about Washington University in St. Louis and what it takes to be accepted.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Methodology

Emphasis on teaching

Traditionally, teaching at the college level wasn’t as highly emphasized as research at many schools. But instruction is a central facet of the academic experience, one that can greatly affect outcomes. By including factors like teacher training and the number of full-time faculty (who tend to be more accessible to students), the authors underscore the importance of teaching.

De-emphasis on prestige

The authors discuss the dangers of what they call “the halo effect,” or focusing solely on name recognition. However, they note that a college’s reputation carries weight in the connections they make and the careers they pursue. And, truth be told, while many of the colleges on the list already have strong reputations and are well-regarded, others are not considered to be of the same caliber as those in the Ivy League. 

This can be regarded as a strength—the goal is to educate students and parents on schools that might not be on their radar but could be an ideal fit—but it’s perhaps a bit misleading to include some of the schools on a list of those comparable to the Ivies, given that prestige, like it or not, does play a role in future opportunities.

Focus on small and medium-sized institutions

While larger universities tend to be well known, that’s not always the case with small- and medium-sized schools—although this is not true across the board. However, while the authors intend to focus on these smaller schools, some of the universities on the list are actually quite large. The University of Southern California (USC) is one example—its undergraduate population is over 20,000 students.

Prioritization of the student experience

The authors interviewed more than 4,000 students as part of their research for the book. This informs their analysis of the overall student experience, which is also critical for students to assess when determining whether an institution is a good fit. 

Of course, no tools or criteria for evaluating colleges and universities are objective. Individuals must account for their own biases and criteria, as well as those of the author, when reviewing this and other lists.

Are the Hidden Ivies Right for You?

Each Hidden Ivy has its own personality and strengths. If you’re looking to attend a highly prestigious college or university with an excellent reputation, you’re bound to find something for you on the list. Plus, this will open up opportunities for you beyond the eight Ivies.

Prestige isn’t the only factor to consider, though. You should look for a school that offers your program of choice, along with extracurricular activities that align with your interests and other qualities, including size, location, and available financial aid. Our free school search tool will help you identify the best fits.

Like the Ivies, these schools are highly selective. With CollegeVine’s chancing engine, you’ll learn your real odds of admission to these and other colleges and get personalized tips for improving your profile.