# Ivy Plus

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Term for a group of American universities

Not to be confused with [Public Ivy](/source/Public_Ivy).

In the United States, "**Ivy Plus**" is an informal term that refers to the [Ivy League](/source/Ivy_League) universities and a small group of non-Ivy [private universities](/source/Private_university) regarded as their peers in prestige and academic standing.

## Background

The Ivy League is a university athletic league comprising eight universities in the [Northeastern United States](/source/Northeastern_United_States) that, according to *[U.S. News and World Report](/source/U.S._News_and_World_Report)*, "are considered the most sought-after institutions of higher learning in the country".[1] Its members are: [Brown University](/source/Brown_University), [Cornell University](/source/Cornell_University), [Columbia University](/source/Columbia_University), [Dartmouth College](/source/Dartmouth_College), [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University), [Princeton University](/source/Princeton_University), the [University of Pennsylvania](/source/University_of_Pennsylvania), and [Yale University](/source/Yale_University).[1]

## Included universities

There is no common definition as to what non-Ivy League schools are part of the Ivy Plus, though [Duke University](/source/Duke_University), the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology), [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University), [California Institute of Technology](/source/California_Institute_of_Technology),[2][3] [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University) and the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago) are the most commonly cited Ivy Plus institutions by multiple sources. [4] Of them University of Chicago, MIT and Stanford are permanently included in the list of Ivy Plus schools since its inception.[5][2][6] Other institutions such as [Georgetown University](/source/Georgetown_University),[7][8][3] [Northwestern University](/source/Northwestern_University),[7][3] and [Vanderbilt University](/source/Vanderbilt_University),[2] have occasionally been identified as non-Ivy League elite schools.

### Formal grouping

The Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation, an interlibrary loan service maintained by a consortium of [university libraries](/source/University_libraries), includes Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, MIT, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago among its non-Ivy League members.[9]

The Ivy Plus Sustainability Consortium, established in 2007 to "advance sustainability in higher education," includes the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago), [Duke University](/source/Duke_University), [Georgetown University](/source/Georgetown_University), [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University), [MIT](/source/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology), and [Stanford University](/source/Stanford_University) alongside the eight Ivy League institutions.[10][11]

The Ivy Plus Exchange Scholars Program, an institutionally-recognized graduate exchange program operated by a consortium of universities, includes the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley), the University of Chicago, MIT, and Stanford University among its non-Ivy League members.[12]

In 2017, following the [United States withdrawal from the Paris Agreement](/source/United_States_and_the_Paris_Agreement) under the [first Trump administration](/source/First_presidency_of_Donald_Trump), the presidents of eight Ivy League universities, along with Duke, Johns Hopkins, UChicago and MIT, referring to themselves as the "Ivy-plus group", co-signed a joint statement to affirm their commitment to tackling climate change.[13][14][15]

### Studies and research

A 2023 study by the [National Bureau of Economic Research](/source/National_Bureau_of_Economic_Research) found that, while "less than half of one percent of Americans attend Ivy-Plus colleges", they "account for more than 10 percent of [Fortune 500](/source/Fortune_500) CEOs, a quarter of U.S. senators, and three-fourths of [Supreme Court](/source/United_States_Supreme_Court) justices appointed in the last half-century". The study defined "Ivy Plus" as the Ivy League institutions plus Chicago, Duke, MIT, and Stanford.[16]

### *Forbes*' New Ivies List

Since 2024, *[Forbes](/source/Forbes)* has published a list of non-Ivy League universities based on exclusivity and surveys of hiring managers.[17][18][19] The momentary 2025 promising "New Ivies" list includes [Carnegie Mellon University](/source/Carnegie_Mellon_University), [Georgetown University](/source/Georgetown_University), [Johns Hopkins University](/source/Johns_Hopkins_University), [Rice University](/source/Rice_University), [University of Notre Dame](/source/University_of_Notre_Dame), [Vanderbilt University](/source/Vanderbilt_University), and [Washington University](/source/Washington_University_in_St._Louis) in St Louis.[18]

## See also

- [Colonial colleges](/source/Colonial_colleges)

- [Public Ivies](/source/Public_Ivies)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-usnews_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-usnews_1-1) ["Ivy League Schools"](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/ivy-league-schools). *[U.S. News & World Report](/source/U.S._News_%26_World_Report)*. September 22, 2025. Retrieved September 30, 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-karger_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-karger_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-karger_2-2) Karger, Howard (2024). *Failing Universities: How Higher Education Became a Commodity and What We Can Do About It*. Bloomsbury. p. 230. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [135038383X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/135038383X).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) ["The Ivy Plus Society: Where Dating Requires A Resumé (POLL)"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-ivy-plus-society-wher_n_309535). *HuffPost*. 2010-03-18. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211019125407/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-ivy-plus-society-wher_n_309535) from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2025-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Dickler, Jessica (September 30, 2025). ["More colleges set to close in 2025, even as 'Ivy Plus' schools experience application boom"](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/15/more-colleges-set-to-close-in-2025-while-ivy-plus-schools-thrive.html). *[CNBC](/source/CNBC)*. Retrieved September 20, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Mechanic, Michael (2022). *Jackpot*. Simon and Schuster. p. 154. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1982127228](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1982127228).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tipler_6-0)** Tipler, Eric (2024). [*Write Yourself In: The Definitive Guide to Writing Successful College Admissions Essays*](https://books.google.com/books?id=_HgIEQAAQBA). Simon and Schuster. p. 209. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [166805521X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/166805521X).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_7-1) Garcia, Ally; Wienski, Julie; Cote, Nicole; Silva, Christopher (2020), ["A Rating Spectrum for Sexual Assault Education and Prevention at 10 Ivy-Plus Institutions"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119257639.ch8), *The Wiley Handbook of Gender Equity in Higher Education*, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 145–169, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/9781119257639.ch8](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781119257639.ch8), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-119-25763-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-119-25763-9), retrieved 2025-12-27{{[citation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Citation)}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_work_parameter_with_ISBN))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Bindley, Katherine (2009-10-03). ["The Dating Game, Ivied and Pedigreed"](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/fashion/04ivy.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240220050420/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/fashion/04ivy.html) from the original on 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2025-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["About – Ivy Plus Libraries"](https://ivpluslibraries.org/about/). *ivpluslibraries.org*. Retrieved 2025-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Leadership through Partnership | Yale Sustainability"](https://sustainability.yale.edu/priorities-progress/leadership/leadership-through-partnership). *Yale Office of Sustainability*. Retrieved 2025-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Ivy Plus Sustainability Consortium | Sustainability & Resiliency | Brown University"](https://sustainability.brown.edu/ivy-plus-sustainability-consortium). *Brown University*. Retrieved 2025-12-26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-yale_12-0)** ["IvyPlus Exchange Scholar Partners"](https://gsas.yale.edu/ivyplus-exchange-scholar-program). *yale.edu*. [Yale University](/source/Yale_University). Retrieved September 30, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Elite US universities defy Trump on climate change"](https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/elite-us-universities-defy-trump-climate-change). *Times Higher Education (THE)*. 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2026-01-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Supran, Geoffrey; Bekkers, Ralien; Aidun, Hillary; Wier, Emily (2017-06-21). ["To lead on climate, leave the ivy tower"](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/jun/21/to-lead-on-climate-leave-the-ivy-tower). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2026-01-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Penn Joins 11 Other Universities in Reaffirming Commitment to Progress on Climate Change | Penn Today"](https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-joins-11-other-universities-reaffirming-commitment-progress-climate-change). *penntoday.upenn.edu*. 2017-06-05. Retrieved 2026-01-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Chetty, Raj. ["DIVERSIFYING SOCIETY'S LEADERS? THE DETERMINANTS AND CAUSAL EFFECTS OF ADMISSION TO HIGHLY SELECTIVE PRIVATE COLLEGES"](https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w31492/w31492.pdf) (PDF). *nber.org*. [National Bureau of Economic Research](/source/National_Bureau_of_Economic_Research). Retrieved September 30, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Whitford, Emma. ["The New Ivies For 2024"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2024/08/27/the-new-ivies-for-2024/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250821211120/https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2024/08/27/the-new-ivies-for-2024/) from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-12-27.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_18-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_18-1) Whitford, Emma. ["The New Ivies 2025: 20 Great Colleges Employers Love"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/). *Forbes*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20251213133801/https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/) from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2025-12-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** McNair, Kamaron (2024-05-04). ["10 top-rated colleges that could compete with the Ivy League, says Forbes"](https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/04/forbes-new-ivies-college-ranking.html). *CNBC*. Retrieved 2025-12-27.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ivy Plus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Plus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Plus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.