Ivy League Rankings 2026: The Definitive Guide
See the 2026 Ivy League rankings from Forbes, Niche, U.S. News, & WSJ side by side—find out which Ivy is #1 and which fits your child best.
Ivy League rankings indicate how schools are viewed overall, but schools provide different opportunities that might be best for your child.
What You'll Learn
Ivy League Member Institutions
The complete list of member schools alongside background details like location, setting, enrollment, and endowment size.
Major Ranking Methodologies
How major publications evaluate universities based on differing priorities, from academic standing to career financial outcomes.
Rankings vs. School Fit
Why overall rank numbers fail to account for personal factors like academic majors, campus culture, setting, and student body size.
Top Non-Ivy Alternatives
Highly selective options beyond the Ivy League—including "Ivy Plus" schools, "Public Ivies," and elite liberal arts colleges—that match their prestige.
Introduction to Ivy League rankings
Which is the best Ivy League school?
How many Ivy League Schools are there, and which are they?
How Ivy League Schools are ranked
Ivy League rankings 2026
Ivy League rankings discussion
Which schools are often mistaken for Ivy League (FAQs)
Which Ivy League school ranks lowest?
Appendix: Ivy League rankings methodologies
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Introduction to Ivy League rankings
Ivy League rankings are released annually by major publications to the delight of students, alumni and university staff whose schools moved up and to the chagrin of those whose schools moved down.
Current and former students often use these rankings for bragging rights, and many journalists, media members, and educators downplay their significance, citing issues with methodology and bias. However, the pushback does not deter high-achieving college applicants and parents, who want to know which Ivy League school is the best.
Interest in this answer stems from the Ivy League being synonymous with America’s most selective, prestigious, and elite colleges. In other words, not only are Ivy League acceptance rates among the country’s lowest, each school carries a strong brand name that follows its alumni throughout their educations, careers, and networks.
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Which is the best Ivy League school?
Based on the four most-cited ranking systems (Forbes, Niche, U.S. News & World Report, and the Wall Street Journal) Princeton ranks as the top Ivy League school overall, with an average relative ranking of 1.5, narrowly ahead of Harvard (2) and Yale (3). These three schools, often called "The Big Three," have topped Ivy League rankings for decades, though Columbia has recently broken into the top tier on some lists. However, the best Ivy League school for your child depends on fit, not just rank (see our Ivy League rankings discussion below).
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How many Ivy League schools are there, and which are they?
There are eight schools in the Ivy League, and here’s the alphabetized list:
Brown University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
University of Pennsylvania
Princeton University
Yale University
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How Ivy League schools are ranked
To be clear, there is no single agreed-upon list of Ivy League rankings, in part because they have relative strengths. (More on that later.) However, the four most widely cited lists are published by Forbes, Niche, U.S. News & World Report, and Times Higher Education.
Each set of rankings emphasizes different variables according to their primary focus, which naturally influences the order. For instance, whereas Forbes heavily weighs financial outcomes like career earnings, U.S. News & World Report significantly considers schools’ academic standings. Fortunately, combining these different best colleges lists allows us to develop a strong overall sense of how Ivy League schools stack up against one another.
It’s important to note that the scopes of rankings differ. For instance, U.S. News & World Report ranks Ivy League schools against other national universities (e.g., Stanford, MIT, UCLA, University of Virginia), but not liberal arts colleges (e.g., Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury), many of which are excellent, highly-regarded schools. On the other hand, the Forbes, Niche, and Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education rankings include both universities and liberal arts colleges.
(Note: Further details can be found at the end of this guide in the Ivy League rankings methodologies appendix.)
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Ivy League rankings 2026
The following table summarizes each Ivy League’s background—location, setting, undergraduate enrollment (i.e., student body size), endowment size—along with its ranking across the four major publications.
Numbers in parentheses correspond to each school’s place among every ranked U.S. college. On the other hand, numbers outside parentheses correspond to the relative rank of each Ivy League school within that list. For instance, in the U.S News rankings, Princeton is ranked the nation’s top college overall, which means that it’s also the highest-ranked Ivy League school. On the other hand, Yale is ranked seventh nationally, which is third highest among Ivy League schools.
Our Ivy League rankings are based on the average relative ranking, since this guide is concerned with the question, “Which is the ‘best’ Ivy League school?” However, average national rankings are also provided in parentheses.
| Princeton | |||||||||
| Harvard | |||||||||
| Yale | |||||||||
| Penn | |||||||||
| Columbia | |||||||||
| Cornell | |||||||||
| Brown | |||||||||
| Dartmouth |
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Ivy League rankings discussion
“The Big Three” rank among the top Ivy League schools on nearly every list
Historically, “The Big Three”—Princeton, Harvard, and Yale—have comprised the top three institutions across the board. However, recently Columbia has occasionally made an appearance in the top 3 on some lists.
Selectivity is associated with each school’s desirability. The more selective a school is, the more likely it is that your child will list it as their dream school. Moreover, graduate programs, employers, and others who might one day evaluate your child’s resume will view higher-ranked schools slightly more favorably than lower-ranked ones. That said, all Ivy League schools are excellent. Evaluators will be impressed by your child’s attendance at any of them.
Overall rankings are lacking when it comes to determining “fit”
Most people would agree that Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are considered the most elite and prestigious Ivy League schools. However, based on your child’s subjects of interest, preferred setting, and opportunities, some schools might be a better fit than others.
For instance, if your child is interested in studying political science or drama, Yale would be an excellent choice. On the other hand, if your child wants to pursue engineering or hotel management, Cornell might be the better fit for them.
In addition, it’s important to consider each school’s setting when applying to Ivy League schools. Penn, for instance, might offer more immediate access to working with low-income communities than Princeton. Moreover, whether your child wants to attend school in an urban, suburban, or rural setting should influence their choice on where to apply. For example, do they want to live in a big city or be as close to nature as possible?
Student body size is another meaningful variable for your child to think about. Most of the Ivy League schools enroll somewhere between 4,000 and 8,000 undergraduate students, while Penn and Cornell are outliers, typically enrolling around 10,000 undergrads. Whether your child wants to be part of a relatively small or large student body might contribute to their overall happiness and social opportunities during college.
Finally, campus culture varies from school to school. For example, Harvard promotes close relationships among students through its residential college system, whereas Brown is widely regarded as the most progressive Ivy League school.
Ivy League schools aren’t the only prestigious schools in the country
Although the Ivy League is often used synonymously with “best colleges”, there are a number of other institutions that are just as academically and reputationally elite. In other words, your child does not have to attend an Ivy League school in order for them to be considered among the country’s highest-achieving students.
While not an exhaustive list, “Ivy Plus” universities like Stanford, MIT, University of Chicago, Duke, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Emory, Vanderbilt, Rice, and Georgetown are considered as prestigious as various Ivy League schools. Public Ivies (such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of Michigan) and elite liberal arts colleges (like Williams, Amherst, and Swarthmore) are also widely esteemed. Depending on your child’s preferences, some of these schools might provide even better fits.
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Which schools are often mistaken for Ivy League? (FAQs)
Many prestigious and high-ranked schools are mistaken as members of the Ivy League due to their high rankings and prestige. Some schools are even given the moniker “Ivy+” because they consistently rank among (or above) many of the Ivy League schools. Let’s take a look at some universities often regarded similarly to the Ivy League schools and mistaken as members.
Is Stanford an Ivy League school?
No, Stanford is not an Ivy League school. However, it is often considered an Ivy+ school due to its consistently high rankings and prestige.
Is Duke an Ivy League school?
No, Duke is not an Ivy League school. However, it is often considered an Ivy+ school due to its consistently high rankings and prestige.
Is Georgetown an Ivy League school?
No, Georgetown is not an Ivy League school. However, Forbes lists Northwestern among “The New Ivies” due to its excellence in preparing and graduating talented workers well-suited to the AI era.
Is Johns Hopkins an Ivy League school?
No, Johns Hopkins is not an Ivy League school. However, it is often considered an Ivy+ school due to its consistently high rankings and prestige.
Is NYU an Ivy League school?
No, NYU is not an Ivy League school. However, it is often considered an Ivy+ school due to its consistently high rankings and prestige.
Is Notre Dame an Ivy League school?
No, Notre Dame is not an Ivy League school. However, Forbes lists Northwestern among “The New Ivies” due to its excellence in preparing and graduating talented workers well-suited to the AI era.
Is Northwestern an Ivy League school?
No, Northwestern is not an Ivy League school. However, Forbes lists Northwestern among “The New Ivies” due to its excellence in preparing and graduating talented workers well-suited to the AI era.
Is the University of Chicago an Ivy League school?
No, University of Chicago is not an Ivy League school. However, it is often considered an Ivy+ school due to its consistently high rankings and prestige.
Is Vanderbilt an Ivy League school?
No, Vanderbilt is not an Ivy League school. However, Forbes lists Northwestern among “The New Ivies” due to its excellence in preparing and graduating talented workers well-suited to the AI era.
Is UCLA/UC Berkeley an Ivy League school?
No, UCLA and UC Berkeley are not Ivy League schools. However, they are often considered “Public Ivies” as they often hold a high rank but are public universities unlike the eight Ivy League schools.
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Which Ivy League school ranks lowest?
Based on the four most-cited ranking systems (Forbes, Niche, U.S. News & World Report, and the Wall Street Journal) Dartmouth is the lowest-ranking Ivy League school overall, with an average relative ranking of 6.75, narrowly below Brown (6.5) and Cornell (6). Though these schools often rank as the lowest among the Ivy League, they may be an excellent fit for your child depending on such factors as your child’s academic interests, preferred setting, and desired extracurricular opportunities (see our Ivy League rankings discussion above).
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For over 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
Want to learn what it takes to get into Ivy League schools?
Click below to review our school-specific guides to help your child get into their top-choice Ivy League schools:
You may also be interested in the following guides to getting into Ivy+ schools:
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Appendix: Ivy League rankings methodologies
Forbes
Alumni salary: 20%
Debt: 15%
Graduation Rate (15%)
Forbes American Leaders List (15%)
Return On Investment (15%)
Retention rate: 10%
Academic success: 10%
(Learn more details about the Forbes methodology here.)
Niche
As of September 2025, Niche does not detail the percentage weight assigned to various factors it considers when ranking schools. However, you can learn more details about the Niche methodology here.
U.S. News & World Report
Graduation and retention rates: 16%
First-year retention rates: 5%
Graduation rate performance: 10%
Social Mobility
Pell graduation rates: 5.5%
Pell graduation performance: 5.5%
College grads earning more than a high school grad: 5%
Borrower debt: 5%
College grads earning more than a high school graduate: 5%
Peer assessment: 20%
Faculty resources
Faculty salaries: 6%
Student-faculty ratio: 3%
Full-time faculty: 2%
Financial resources per student: 8%
Standardized tests: 5%
Faculty research (National Universities only)
Citations per publication: 1.25%
Field weighted citation impact: 1.25%
Publication share in the Top 5% of Journals by CiteScore 1%
Publication share in the Top 25% of Journals by CiteScore 0.5%
(Learn more details about the U.S. News methodology here.)
Times Higher Education
Teaching (the learning environment): 29.5%
Teaching reputation: 15%
Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2%
Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 5.5%
Institutional income: 2.5%
Research environment: 29%
Research reputation: 18%
Research income: 5.5%
Research productivity: 5.5%
Research quality: 30%
Citation impact: 15%
Research strength: 5%
Research excellence: 5%
Research influence: 5%
International outlook: 7.5%
Proportion of international students: 2.5%
Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
International collaboration: 2.5%
Industry: 4%
Industry income: 2%
Patents: 2%
(Learn more details about the Times Higher Education methodology here.)
Want to know exactly what it takes to get into America's most selective colleges?
Get our free 110-page guide we use to help our students routinely get admitted to schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford: How to Get into America's Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide
Strategies for all six of Columbia’s supplemental essay prompts with real example responses, admissions requirements, and acceptance rate breakdown.