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
the term “public ivy” was coined in 1985 by richard moll to recognize schools with, in addition to a reputation for academic excellence, “the look and feel” of an ivy league school
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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.
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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.
(Suggested viewing: Is Attending an Ivy League Worth It?)
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Part 3: Which schools are Public Ivies?
Before we discuss present-day Public Ivies, let’s first review the eight schools that Richard Moll chose when he coined the term “Public Ivy” back in 1985:
College of William & Mary
Miami University
The University of California system
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Texas at Austin
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
In addition, Moll named the following “worthy runners-up:”
Georgia Institute of Technology
New College of Florida
Pennsylvania State University
SUNY Binghamton (now known as Binghamton University)
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Pittsburgh
University of Washington
Public Ivies in 2023–2024: The “big five”
Because there’s no contemporary official list of Public Ivies, which schools qualify for the designation today is the subject of much debate. That said, nearly everyone would agree that the following five schools are shoo-ins for inclusion on the basis of their prestige and academic rigor:
University of California–Berkeley
U.S. News & World Report rank: 15 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 33,078
Cost of attendance: $46,168 (in-state); $80,368 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 16.4%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1340–1540*
(Suggested reading: How to Get into UC Berkeley)
University of California–Los Angeles
U.S. News & World Report rank: 15 (tied)
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,423
Cost of attendance: $38,517 (in-state); $71,091 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 8.8%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1370–1540*
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UCLA)
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
U.S. News & World Report rank: 21
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,695
Cost of attendance: $35,450 (in-state); $76,294 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 18%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1400–1540
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
U.S. News & World Report rank: 29 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment: 19,743
Cost of attendance: $26,118 (in-state), $57,370 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 17%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1320–1510
U.S. News & World Report rank: 24 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment: 16,793
Cost of attendance: $37,828 (in-state), $75,440 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 19%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1390–1530
Public Ivies in 2023–2024: Additional contenders
Things get a little more contentious—and subjective—when determining which schools, besides the five that we listed above, ought to be considered Public Ivies. Bearing that in mind, we’ve chosen four additional schools that we think deserve the title based on a holistic assessment of educational quality and resources, competitiveness, the academic performance of its incoming class, rankings, and overall prestige.
U.S. News & World Report rank: 53 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,797
Cost of attendance: $43,035 (in-state), $67,653 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 33%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1380–1520
Georgia Institute of Technology
U.S. News & World Report rank: 33 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,415
Cost of attendance: $28,584 (in-state), $49,696 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 17%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1370–1530
University of California–San Diego
U.S. News & World Report rank: 28 (tie)
Undergraduate enrollment: 33,096
Cost of attendance: $39,591 (in-state), $72,165 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 24.7%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1330–1510*
(Suggested reading: How to Get Into UCSD)
U.S. News & World Report rank: 32
Undergraduate enrollment: 41,309
Cost of attendance: $34,174 (in-state); $69,310 (out-of-state)
Acceptance rate: 31%
SAT middle range (25th–75th percentile): 1240–1470
*Note: UC schools no longer accept standardized test scores in their admissions processes. These numbers were collected prior to 2021.
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Part 4: How to think about which public universities your child should apply to
In viewing the list above, you might be left with questions like:
What about the other schools on the original list of Public Ivies?
Does this mean that my state’s public university isn’t good?
Are these the only public universities that you recommend my child apply to?
Not at all. We want to be crystal clear that inclusion in this list doesn’t correlate with our recommendation for where your child should apply to college. Rather, your child’s college list should be shaped by a host of criteria, including their GPA, ACT or SAT score, extracurricular performance, academic interests, desired school size and location, your family’s financial situation, and more.
Our goal in writing this guide is simply to offer our take on the question: which universities are considered Public Ivies today? Keep in mind that in determining which public universities should be thought of as Ivy League counterparts, of primary consideration were overall academic caliber and prestige.
Nevertheless, your child may find plenty of compelling reasons to apply to public universities we haven’t mentioned. A common reason for many is that a school may boast strong offerings in a specific area of study.
For instance, if your child wants to study computer science, they should know that the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign and the University of Washington are widely regarded as top-notch in the field—on par with Ivies and Public Ivies like Cornell, Princeton, UCLA, and Georgia Tech.
If your child is instead interested in journalism, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is considered top-tier, alongside Northwestern (an “Ivy Plus” school). Or, if your child’s sights are set on becoming a business major, they may want to consider Indiana University, routinely ranked among the top undergraduate business programs.
To add to this, many public universities offer special programs or honors colleges, just as several Public Ivies do. Not only do these programs allow your child to obtain a more intimate college experience, they also tend to offer greater academic challenges due to their more selective admissions processes.
Plus, if paying for college is a concern for your family—as it is for many—it’s a good idea for your child to apply to at least one public university in your state to ensure that there’s a relatively affordable option on their list. Even if your family is lucky enough to have a Public Ivy in your home state, this shouldn’t preclude your child from considering what other public schools in your state have to offer. Depending on what your child wants to study or if there’s a particular honors program that appeals to them, they may find a great fit elsewhere.
Final thoughts
Public Ivies provide excellent educations, often at relatively low costs. Though selectivity and prestige can vary from school to school, your child will be able to find a challenging academic experience at any Public Ivy. For this reason, they’re worthy of consideration for any strong student, especially those who can apply as in-state candidates.
When evaluating Public Ivies, your child should research each school's specific programs, size, selectivity, tuition rates, and financial aid options to make sure it's a terrific fit.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
