Public Ivy Leagues

The Ivy League schools are well-known for their prestigious history, high-quality academics and continually high rankings. But there are some public schools that offer the same or similar experience, at a lower cost and with less exclusivity – the Public Ivy Leagues.

These schools are the top eight schools in the nation, chosen by Richard Moll in 1985 in his book entitled The Public Ivies: America’s Flagship Undergraduate Colleges. Moll was admissions officer at University of California, Santa Cruz during the 80s, and traveled across the country to scout out the top public schools. The result is his book and the creation of the term Public Ivy Leagues.

The traditional Ivy League schools have a certain set of characteristics, and Moll tried to stick to these guidelines when coming up with the member schools of the Public Ivy Leagues. These public schools have a rich tradition of excellence, high standing rankings in objective University and College ranking bodies, top-notch academics and other factors that make them stand apart from their peers.

There are eight schools in the original list of Public Ivy Leagues. This list has been expanded on several times, but the original eight