The term “Ivy League” has become a stand-in for elite colleges and universities in general. If you make good grades or ace your standardized tests, someone will inevitably say, “You should go to an Ivy League school.”
But what exactly is the Ivy League? Does it include any schools in Texas? Actually, there are no Ivy League schools in Texas. In fact, you won’t find an Ivy League school any farther south than Philadelphia. That being said, Texas has more than one school that gives the Ivy League a run for its money in prestige and educational quality.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Ivy League?
- Why Are Ivy League Schools Elite?
- What Colleges Are Like Ivy League Schools in Texas?
- The Bottom Line on Ivy League Schools in Texas
What Is the Ivy League?
The Ivy League is nothing more than a college athletic conference. It consists of eight prestigious universities in the northeastern United States. The schools and their locations are:
- Brown University (Providence, RI)
- Columbia University (New York, NY)
- Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
- Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
- Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
- University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
- Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
- Yale University (New Haven, CT)
These schools play each other in intercollegiate sports throughout the academic year, similar to the schools in larger, more well-known athletic conferences such as the SEC and the Big Ten. The difference with the Ivy League is that its schools are less known for sports and more known for academics. They are considered to be some of the most prestigious and selective universities in the country.
Why Are Ivy League Schools Elite?
Ivy League schools are known for their rigorous academics and highly selective admissions standards. But what sets these eight schools apart from the rest of the nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States? Why are they so aspired to by students and parents? It comes down to four reasons:
Ivy League Schools Have a Rich History
The Ivy League schools were among the first colleges to educate people in the United States. In fact, Harvard was the very first. Compared to other schools, the Ivies have had more time not only to build up their reputations but also to amass formidable endowment funds. They use this money to hire top faculty, give grants and financial aid to the best students, and invest in their facilities, ensuring they remain top-notch.
Ivy League Schools Offer a Rigorous Education
Another reason Ivy League schools are so elite is because they offer a top-notch education. These schools have a long history of producing successful alumni, many of whom have gone on to hold prestigious positions in government and business. Even though Ivy League schools comprise only 0.2% of all American colleges, more than one-third of all U.S. presidents attended one.
Ivy League Schools Are Highly Selective
It’s the scarcity principle in economics. When something is hard to get, people attach more value to it. And admission to any Ivy League school is extremely hard to get. Harvard has the lowest acceptance rate in the country at 3.2%. The other seven Ivies all have acceptance rates under 10%.
Ivy League Schools Are Expensive
Ivies have some of the highest sticker prices among American colleges. Historically, this served as a barrier to entry for all but the wealthiest students, adding to the image of a gilded class.
In recent years, though, Ivy League schools have shifted their focus from favoring wealthy legacy students (those whose parents or grandparents graduated from the school) to recruiting more first-generation students, underrepresented minorities, and economically disadvantaged students.
The result is that the Ivy League has become less economically elite but remains as academically elite as ever.
What Colleges Are Like Ivy League Schools in Texas?
Texas might be hundreds of miles from the Ivy League, but it’s home to several colleges that hold their own against the elite conference. Here are some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in Texas:
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university in Houston. It was founded in 1912 and is now the top-ranked university in Texas according to U.S. News and other publications. Rice has an undergraduate enrollment of 6,600. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 50 fields of study. Rice is considered a peer university of the Ivy League as well as schools like Duke, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Why Rice University Compares to the Ivy League
Rice has many of the same qualities as Ivy League schools, including a strong focus on academics and research, a highly selective admissions process — its acceptance rate is down to 8.5% and falling every year — and a rich history. Rice is the only private university in Texas to be a member of The Association of American Universities, an organization comprised of the country’s leading research universities.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is the flagship institution of the University of Texas system. It was founded in 1883 and is now one of the largest universities in the United States, with more than 40,000 undergraduates and another 11,000 graduate students. UT Austin is a research powerhouse and one of the top public universities in the country, ranking alongside schools such as UCLA, the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Why UT-Austin Compares to the Ivy League
UT-Austin has it all: rigorous coursework, top-notch faculty, grade-A academic and athletic facilities, and an alumni network that resembles a mafia because of its reach, influence, and loyalty. A degree from UT-Austin is a veritable golden ticket.
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
SMU is a private university in Dallas. It was founded in 1911 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, but neither its curriculum nor its campus vibe are remotely religious (though many SMU students show an almost religious level of devotion to their fraternities and sororities!). The university has around 7,000 undergrads and 5,500 graduate students. SMU is known for its prestigious Cox School of Business, and for its law school and pre-law programs.
Why SMU Compares to the Ivy League
SMU has been recognized many times over the years for its high-quality academic programs. It has often been compared to Ivy League schools, including being named a “Hidden Ivy” in a 2016 publication. While SMU may not have the same long history as the Ivies, it offers similarly rigorous academic programs that prepare students for successful futures. With an impressive faculty, small class sizes, and a talented and diverse student body, SMU punches far above its weight class.
Texas Christian University
TCU is a private university in Fort Worth. It was founded in 1873 by Addison and Randolph Clark. The two brothers sought to establish a university where students could receive a rigorous education and grow into strong leaders. At that time, coeducational universities were rare, especially in Texas. But TCU welcomed both men and women from day one. The school has about 10,000 undergrads plus another 1,700 graduate students.
Why TCU Compares to the Ivy League
Although TCU may carry less cachet than the Ivy League universities, it offers similar educational and extracurricular opportunities. Both TCU and the Ivies have selective admissions and high price tags. Like the Ivies, TCU has a prodigious endowment (it’s worth more than $2 billion) and uses it to make the school a financial reality for students not from wealthy families.
TCU students also benefit from Ivy-quality resources, including state-of-the-art libraries and research facilities. The alumni network, known as “Frog Nation” (the school mascot is a Horned Frog) is big, rabid, and well-connected.
Trinity University (TX)
Trinity University is a private university in San Antonio. The school was founded in 1869 as a combination of three small Presbyterian colleges that had faltered after the Civil War. It has since grown into the top liberal arts college in Texas. It’s the smallest school on this list with only 2,600 students, but it is purely undergraduate focused, and students develop deep connections with each other and with faculty.
Why Trinity Compares to the Ivy League
Although Trinity is not a member of the Ivy League, it is considered by those who know it to be a prestigious school. It has a rigorous academic curriculum, a low student-to-faculty ratio, and a breathtaking campus set far enough back from downtown San Antonio to feel secluded but close enough to provide access to everything the city has to offer.
Trinity students immerse themselves in the liberal arts while gaining marketable job skills. They also participate in community service projects and get involved on campus. Classes are taught not by TAs but by tenured faculty members, most holding PhDs.
The Bottom Line on Ivy League Schools in Texas
There are no Ivy League schools in Texas. However, there are some amazing schools that offer a world-class education and boundless opportunities. If you’re gunning for the Ivies, consider broadening your horizons and also applying to some of these incredible Texas colleges.
