UT Austin, Rice University Among Forbes' 2025 'New Ivies'

A new era of Ivy League schools is here, and they aren't restricted to the Northeast like the original eight — two can be found in Texas.

While Forbes' 2025 list of America's top colleges included several Ivy League institutions, attitudes toward such schools are shifting. This change in sentiment is supported by responses in employer surveys, indicating new preferences for graduates of non-Ivy League education.

Employer sentiments, political backlash creating 'new Ivies'

Ivy League schools have been historically recognized as prestigious, known for intellectual rigor and foundations for elite careers. But the current political landscape and employer sentiments suggest the regard once reserved for such institutions is now uplifting others.

According to the 2025 Forbes study on the "new Ivies," employers report a 37% decrease in preference for Ivy League graduates compared to five years ago. Some of these employers feel Ivy-educated students have become overvalued or have inflated expectations. Instead, more emphasis is now placed on qualities like adaptability, innovation and practical skills.

Political criticism is another key factor in dwindling regard for Ivy League education, as some schools face donor pressure amid campus activism. Protests against the Israel-Hamas war, the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and other partisan issues have prompted threats of donor withdrawal and loss of federal funding. In response, some like Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania have made agreements with the Trump administration, which include paying millions in fines and changing policies related to admissions, academics and hiring practices. Meanwhile, a federal judge has ruled in favor of Harvard University's claim that the administration unlawfully froze billions in research grants.

In light of these national trends, Forbes has identified "new Ivies" to indicate schools receiving growing political and employer approval. Overall, these institutions are more selective, accept smaller fractions of applicants, and report higher median test scores. Competitive strengths include strong undergraduate research programs and faculty mentorship.

UT Austin named among 10 public 'new Ivies'

Forbes' list of public institutions regarded as the "new Ivies" tends to admit more students and sometimes have slightly lower selectivity and standardized test medians. Nonetheless, they stand out in terms of scale, STEM strength and public impact.

The University of Texas at Austin made the top 10, with the highest undergraduate enrollment and the fourth-highest acceptance rate among the list.

Institution	State	Undergraduate enrollment	Acceptance rate	50th perc. SAT	50th perc. ACT
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus	Georgia	19,888	16%	1450	32
Purdue University - Main Campus	Indiana	41,678	50%	1320	31
University of Texas at Austin	Texas	43,718	29%	1370	31
United States Military Academy	New York	4,552	14%	1330	31
University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign	Illinois	36,970	44%	1410	32
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Michigan	33,921	18%	1470	33
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	North Carolina	21,214	19%	1470	32
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus	Pennsylvania	25,319	50%	1360	31
University of Virginia - Main Campus	Virginia	19,791	17%	1490	33
College of William & Mary	Virginia	7,359	33%	1450	33

Rice University named among 10 private 'new Ivies'

In contrast with the public institutions, the private "new Ivies" are characterized by very high SAT and ACT score medians and very low acceptance rates, highlighting their strong competitiveness.

Rice University in Houston was once again recognized as a prestigious college, with among the lowest acceptance rates and the highest median SAT and ACT scores.

Institution	State	Undergraduate enrollment	Acceptance rate	50th percent SAT	50th perc. ACT
Carnegie Mellon University	Pennsylvania	7,497	11%	1540	35
Emory University	Georgia	7,606	11%	1520	33
Georgetown University	District of Columbia	8,670	13%	1500	33
Johns Hopkins University	Maryland	8,654	8%	1550	35
Northwestern University	Illinois	10,210	7%	1530	34
Rice University	Texas	4,712	8%	1550	35
Tufts University	Massachusetts	7,631	10%	1510	34
University of Notre Dame	Indiana	9,157	12%	1500	34
Vanderbilt University	Tennessee	7,284	6%	1540	35
Washington University in St. Louis	Missouri	8,821	12%	1540	34