Top IVY League Universities in World 2025 (List)

Ivy League Universities in World 2025: Check List with Ranking

Edited By Piyush Kohli | Updated on Apr 03, 2025 05:25 PM IST

Ivy League universities in world are known for their demanding admission requirements, excellent faculties and commitment to academic excellence. All overseas students benefit from their rankings. Ivy League attracts some of the best minds and students get the opportunity to network extremely. There are only Eight Ivy League universities and not Twelve. We have given the list of all 8 Ivy League universities and also mentioned their highlights. The Ivy League gained popularity far away from the United States because these prestigious universities maintain their reputation worldwide. The eight Ivy League universities in world are Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Brown University, Columbia University and Dartmouth College.

This Story also Contains

Ivy League Universities Ranking for 2025
What are the 12 Ivy League universities?
Top Ivy League Universities in World
How to Choose the Best Ivy League School?
Go beyond Ivy Leagues

Ivy League Universities in World 2025: Check List with Ranking

If you choose to attend an Ivy League university, go through the article to learn about rankings and other relevant information that will help you decide.

Also Read: Top Universities in the World

Ivy League Universities Ranking for 2025

A comparison of Ivy League schools' outstanding education, student-faculty ratio, and overall performance is ranked by the QS World and US News rankings. The table with the Ivy League University World Rankings for 2025 can be found below:

Ivy League Schools World Ranking

University	QS Rankings 2025	US News Rankings
Harvard University	4	3
University of Pennsylvania	11	10
Cornell University	16	=11
Princeton University	22	1
Yale University	23	5
Columbia University	34	=13
Brown University	79	=13
Dartmouth College	243	=15

Also Read: QS World University Rankings 2025

What are the 12 Ivy League universities?

The 12 Ivy League schools are simultaneously ranked in the top 100 universities in the world.

Prestigious 8 Ivy League universities:

Harvard University (Massachusetts)
University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania)
Cornell University (New York)
Princeton University (New Jersey)
Yale University (Connecticut)
Columbia University (New York)
Brown University (Rhode Island)
Dartmouth College (New Hampshire)

4 Equally Prestigious Non-Ivy League Universities

Officially, there are only 8 Ivy League universities, the 4 universities mentioned below are still considered because of their comparable performance.

Stanford University
MIT
Northwestern University
University of Chicago

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Top Ivy League Universities in World

The following table details eight Ivy League universities in the world are given below:

Harvard University

Harvard University	Details
About	Harvard University is a top private university established in 1636 at Cambridge.
Acceptance Rate	3.2%
Admission Standards	The acceptance rate of Harvard University is approximately 3%, so having a high GPA of 3.5 or above and excellent scores in SAT/ACT or GRE/GMAT to be considered for admission.
Popular Courses	Computer Science, Political Science, Neuroscience, Law, Economics, Psychology
Harvard Notable Alumni	George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Conan O'Brien, Mark Zuckerberg, and Ratan Tata

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania	Details
About	University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a private Ivy League research university established in 1740 in Philadelphia
Acceptance Rate	6.5
Admission Standards	Since Penn accepts only 6% of applicants, who have at least a 3.5 GPA or above 75% can be considered.
Popular Courses	MD, Law, Business, Education, Engineering
Famous Notable alumni	Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, John Legend, and Elizabeth Blanks

Cornell University

Cornell University	Details
About	Founded in 1865 in New York, Cornell University is a private research university.
Acceptance Rate	7.5%
Admission Standards	Applicants have a minimum GPA of 3.8 or higher because approximately 9% of students are accepted for admission.
Popular Courses	Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Management, Marketing, Medicine.
Famous Notable alumni	Bill Nye, Anthony Fauci, Jane Lynch, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Princeton University

Princeton University	Details
About	Established in 1746 in New York, Princeton University is a private research university.
Acceptance Rate	4%
Admission Standards	Admission is extremely competitive because of a low acceptance rate of 4%, and a minimum GPA of 3.9 or higher is better for securing admission.
Popular Courses	Architecture, Engineering, Computer Science, Econometrics, Quantitative Economics.
Famous Notable alumni	Jeff Bezos, Richard Feynman, Michelle Obama, Brooke Shields, Eric Schmidt, and Woodrow Wilson

Yale University

Yale University	Details
About	Yale University is located in New Haven, which is a private university established in 1701.
Acceptance Rate	4.6%
Admission Standards	Due to the low acceptance rate of Yale University, 4% of students have a 3.8 or above to increase their opportunities to enrol in the desired degree program.
Popular Courses	Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, Medicine, Management, Science.
Famous Notable alumni	Meryl Streep, Hilary Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Jodie Foster, and Edward Norton

Columbia University

Columbia University	Details
About	Columbia University was established in 1754 and located in the heart of New York City.
Acceptance Rate	4%
Admission Standards	The acceptance rate of Columbia University is approximately 4%, so having a high GPA of 3.5 or above and excellent scores in SAT/ACT or GRE/GMAT to be considered for admission.
Popular Courses	Economics, Political Science, Computer Science, Art History, Archaeology and Journalism
Columbia Notable Alumni	Barack Obama, Julia Stiles, Alexander Hamilton, Kate McKinnon, Robert Kraft, and Sara Ali Khan

Brown University

Brown University	Details
About	Brown University was established in 1764 in Rhode Island and is known for its open curriculum that allows students to choose their own education interest.
Brown Acceptance Rate	5.1%
Admission Standards	Candidates need to score at least 1510-1560 in SAT and 34-36 in ACT for securing admission at Brown. The university is known for its Economics, Computer Science, Biology, Literary Arts and Political Science programs.
Popular Courses	Computer Science, Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Math, Biology, International Relations and Affairs
Brown Notable Alumni	Emma Watson, John Krasinski, Ted Turner, John F. Kennedy Jr., Julie Bowen, Janet Yellen, and Bobby Jindal

Why choose an Ivy League university?

An Ivy League helps a student grow not only academically and professionally but intellectually and personally as well. The Ivy League gives you access to a vast network of successful alumni, unmatched resources and excellent career opportunities. These universities are known for offering an environment that helps in personal and professional growth of a student.

How to Choose the Best Ivy League School?

There are some factors to consider other than rankings while selecting an Ivy League university. Those universities focus on different criteria rather than only focusing on grades. Here are the points to choose the best Ivy League schools given.

Main Factors in Choosing the Best Ivy League Schools

Your chosen field of study: Generally, Ivy League schools provide the best courses, Cornell Is a top option for engineering, Princeton for Physics, and UPenn for business.
University Environment: Some students select urban campuses, such as Columbia, while others opt for rural locations like Dartmouth.
Student Activities: The extracurricular activities at each Ivy League school reflect the unique ethics of the university. For instance, Brown University provides an open curriculum structure however, Dartmouth College follows a D-plan calendar. The D-plan calendar allows students the freedom to make their schedules by giving them breaks for jobs or travel.

Go beyond Ivy Leagues

Applicants looking for schools beyond the Ivy League can explore other prestigious schools, which offer unique opportunities and advantages. The various programs, research resources and vibrant campus culture of non-Ivy League universities may better suit your academic or professional objectives.

A few highly regarded non-Ivy League university might offer attractive financial assistance or reduced tuition fees to make their tuition fees reasonable so students can get high-quality education. The strong alumni network from numerous non-Ivy League universities offers employment and development opportunities in diverse industries or fields.

Top Non Ivy League Universities

Stanford
MIT
New York University
Johns Hopkins
UC Berkeley
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many Ivy League universities are there in the world?

You might have heard that there are 12 Ivy League universities in the world but actually there are only 8. These include Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, Brown University and Dartmouth University.

2. Why is it called the Ivy League?

The eight American private universities were part of the twentieth-century Ivy Sports League. These universities are top-ranked and also maintain their academic reputation with a rich history.

3. Are Ivy Leagues only in USA?

Yes, the Ivy League universities are based in the USA only. Securing admission to an Ivy League university is more competitive than other universities so, international applicants must have an extraordinary academic background, with related documents.

4. Which Ivy League is most prestigious?

Every 8 Ivy League universities are the best in the United States of America. However, the most prestigious Ivy League universities globally include Harvard, Princeton and Yale. These universities are very hard to get into due to their low acceptance rate and high ranking. Students fulfilling every requirement can enhance their chances.

5. Can an Indian get into the Ivy League?

Yes, Indian students can get into Ivy League universities, however, it is a tough competition to secure admission here. A candidate needs to have a strong academic background and an equally strong application.