Ivy League Schools Ranking 2025 The Ultimate Guide To The Best And

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 5, 2025, 10:22 AM

ivy league schools ranking 2025 the ultimate guide to the best and

For its 2025 edition, US News and World Report dropped two factors that it previously used as criteria to determine a given college’s national ranking — first generation graduation rate and first generation graduation... It also heightened the importance of some preexisting factors to its methodology: Pell graduation rate and Pell graduation rate performance. While US News is the oldest and most well-known college rankings publication, other publications have grown in prominence in recent years, most notably the college rankings system that The Wall Street Journal launched in... Yet none yet hold a candle to US News in terms of their popular appeal. US News’ recent changes in methodology over the last few years came after a number of universities withdrew from providing their data to the organization’s rankings. In addition to Columbia University as a whole, a number of Ivy League graduate programs stopped participating, as well as a number of non-Ivy League schools.

In the end, each student will have their own criteria for determining what school is right for them — their interests, their passions, and their needs. US News and other rankings can be a helpful guide and a source of information. But the best way to get to know which college is right for you comes, of course, through a campus visit and serious, thoughtful research. Below is an analysis of US News’ 2025 ranking for each of the eight Ivy League schools followed by Ivy Coach’s own ranking: By now, whether you’ve been told about them at a young age, know someone attending one of them, or just discovered them, my guess is that you’ve heard of the Ivy League schools. But do you really know them?

Most often regarded as the best schools in America, if not in the world, the Ivies’ prestige has inspired countless students to aim for their dreams, but let’s go a little deeper. What are the Ivy League rankings? How are the Ivy League schools ranked? Who in the world ranks them? What is the best Ivy League school? And most importantly: What are your chances of getting in?

Try asking these questions to your family and friends, and you’ll quickly find that reaching a mutual consensus is a rather ambitious idea, much like asking them to name the same best restaurants or... Ivy League rankings or not, the answer all depends on the person. And Ivy League school rankings depend on a variety of factors (academic reputation, students’ future careers, quality of livelihood) – but ultimately, you’ll need to figure out what works best for you. Getting into any one of these schools is a tremendous accomplishment worth celebrating, considering how difficult it is to receive that admissions letter. You’ll come across many lists of Ivy League school rankings that delve into the overall quality of their academics. Major publications releasing such Ivy League rankings include Forbes, U.S.

News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and other outlets that focus on education. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that these publications create their Ivy League rankings based on different sources. For example, U.S. News & World Report focuses on the overall academic reputation of the universities; they offer peer-assessed surveys to university officials and high school counselors to make such conclusions. Alternatively, a publication like Forbes will focus on post-graduate outcomes such as salaries, student debt after graduation, and prestigious accomplishments, such as winning the Nobel Prize (no pressure). Being aware of such ranking criteria will be helpful in understanding which Ivy League school could be best for you.

Let’s take a closer look at what the Ivy League rankings would look like if acceptance rate was the sole factor: Expert guidance to help students reach their dream college Early prep for future college admissions success Get recruited to play your sport at a top university Strategic help for competitive master’s & PhD programs Applying now?

Get the most trusted admissions “final check” Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University Are you interested in the Ivy League for your future education? Let’s check the Ivy League rankings of 2025. The Ivy League includes Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Pennsylvania. Let’s find out how they rank!

Ivy League rankings involve a comprehensive evaluation process that considers various key factors. These include academic reputation, faculty expertise, research output, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni success. Independent ranking organizations and publications often employ methodologies that may incorporate surveys, statistical data analysis, and expert opinions to assess each institution's standing. WASHINGTON — As high school seniors head back to class this fall, one eye is obviously fixed on their college futures. If you’ve got the grades, we’ve got the list of the best institutions to start applying to in 2025. In a comprehensive study of over 800 higher education institutions, Ivy League powerhouses have once again proven their mettle, with Princeton University clinching the top spot as the best university to attend in 2025.

The annual ranking, conducted by WalletHub, evaluated schools across 30 key measures, from student selectivity to career outcomes. Princeton University secured its position at the summit with an impressive overall score of 79.24 out of 100. However, if you want to get into Princeton, you need to be one of the best students in the world. The New Jersey-based institution boasts a mere 4% acceptance rate, with a staggering 93% of incoming students hailing from the top 10% of their high school graduating classes. “Princeton has one of the best student-to-faculty ratios in the country, with one faculty member for every five students,” notes WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in a statement, adding that this personalized attention contributes to... The financial payoff for Princeton graduates is equally remarkable.

On average, alumni earn approximately $1.05 million more than high school graduates over a 20-year period post-graduation – the sixth-best return on investment among all institutions in this year’s rankings. Moreover, the average salary for Princeton graduates a decade after enrollment exceeds $110,000, ranking sixth-highest in the study. Ivy League schools are the gold standard of higher education in the United States. Known worldwide for their academic rigor, deep-rooted traditions, and influential alumni, these eight universities attract the best and brightest minds. Whether your goal is groundbreaking research, leadership in business, public service, or creative innovation, the Ivy League offers unmatched opportunities. This 2025 guide explores their history, rankings, admissions processes, student experience, and what the future may hold.

The Ivy League name originally referred to an athletic conference formed in 1954, but the member schools themselves have histories stretching back centuries. Seven were founded before the American Revolution, making them some of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States. The ivy imagery—climbing up the walls of campus buildings—symbolizes tradition, longevity, and an enduring dedication to scholarship. Over time, the term “Ivy League” became synonymous not only with sports but also with academic excellence and prestige. Brown University – Founded 1764, Providence, Rhode Island Columbia University – Founded 1754, New York City, New York

Higher education in the UK offers a range of paths tailored to diverse academic backgrounds and career aspirations. However, not all universities... Studying at the University of Edinburgh, one of the UK’s most prestigious institutions, is a dream for thousands of students worldwide. However, for... Europe is one of the most preferred locations in the world for international students. However, finding the right university in Europe can be...

Choosing where to study is about more than just courses, rankings, or location it’s about becoming part of a story that spans decades, or even... We have witnessed that in recent years, a majority of American universities faced a huge rise in the enrolment of Indian students. Such a change is... President Donald Trump’s attack on what he and others insist is a “woke” epidemic infecting the nation’s higher education system has turned the Ivy League and other elite colleges into pariahs. While still offering rigorous and broad curriculums, these schools have prioritized diversity and inclusion, which the Trump Administration would like to abolish. Trump has not hesitated to wield executive powers, legally and not, to enforce his vision—one that hamstrings research, terminates DEI programs, and prioritizes workforce preparedness.

Hundreds of colleges now face steep federal funding cuts, gutted programs and federal investigations. Even the most fiscally fit universities are staring down four years of financial uncertainty. But Trump’s personal beef has mostly centered on the Ancient Eight. An example: Last Wednesday, the Trump administration paused $175 million in funding for his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, because the university had allowed transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports before the... The freeze is “just a taste of what could be coming down the pipe” for Penn, a White House spokesperson told Fox Business. That same day, Columbia University—the epicenter of pro-Palestinian student protests in 2024 that angered alumni, major donors and others—signaled it would comply with a slew of demands from the White House, including suspending and...

Earlier this month, the Trump administration cut $400 million in federal funding for the university, claiming university officials failed to address antisemitism on campus. While the ongoing political assault is perhaps the fiercest condemnation of the Ivies, employers share a growing distaste for America’s oldest and most venerable colleges. In a Forbes survey answered by more than 380 C-suite inhabitants, vice presidents and other managers, 37% said they are less likely to hire an Ivy League graduate than they were five years ago—up... Another 12% said they would never hire an Ivy League graduate. Survey respondents pointed to graduates’ attitudes and lack of humility as sticking points. “I believe Ivy League candidates are over valued, and they frequently have a higher than real opinion of themselves,” one C-suite-level respondent wrote.

“Entry-level job candidates should be “eager to learn, have no ego or be ‘stuck-up’ because of the school they attended,” said another. So if America’s favor is turning away from its most elite private schools, where are employers, students and parents looking instead? For the second year, Forbes New Ivies has selected 10 outstanding public universities and 10 top private schools that are attracting the best and the brightest, and graduating students that are outpacing most Ivy... These colleges are highly selective—applicants have a one in seven chance, or slimmer, to gain admission to one of the private New Ivies, and a 50% chance or less to enroll at one of... And, they accept the best—the private New Ivies admit students with a median SAT score of 1530—slightly higher than the nation’s largest Ivy, Cornell University, which has a median SAT score of 1520. The public universities, which educate a combined 396,000 students, admit students with a median SAT score of 1410.

Many of these schools are making their second appearance on our list—Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, for example, continue to impress. But this year, we welcome six newcomers: Washington University in St Louis, Tufts University in Massachusetts; Purdue University in Indiana; the United States Military Academy at West Point; the University of Pittsburgh; and William...

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