Famous Ivy League Alumni

The Ivy League (also known as The Ancient Eight) is a prestigious collegiate athletic conference consisting of eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States that was made official with the implementation of the NCAA Division. As a group of elite colleges renowned for academic brilliance, selective admissions, and social elitism, the Ivy League is typically referred to beyond sports contexts.

An article published in 1935 in the Associated Press outlined the possibility of bringing together a handful of private schools in the Northeast for a sports league. As a result, the so-called 'Ivy League', which is in the process of forming among the older eastern universities, has welcomed Brown into its fold and automatically assumed the proportions of a big eight.

As a group of eight, the Ivy League comprises Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Brown, Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Yale, and the University of Columbia. Of the colleges on this list, only one dates back to George Washington's presidency. The Ivy League as it currently exists is essentially a 70-year-old athletic conference.

From politicians and entrepreneurs to authors, actors, and Nobel laureates, these Ivy League universities and colleges have produced a plethora of famous alumni. However, the term 'Ivy League Universities' is often misjudged to refer to the best universities in the US, which is parenthetically true, but the origins of the term are actually deep-rooted in sports rather than just academics.

Due to their rich history and a highly successful alumni network of people from diverse fields, these universities also typically have the highest endowments of any educational institution in the world.It is worthwhile to describe orilluminate the key achievements of the top 5 Ivy League Universities, as well as their impact on education both in the United States and internationally.

Students from all over the world seeking admission to prestigious colleges have looked to our Study Abroad Experts for advice on the best courses to take while studying abroad. We are delighted to knowthat mostly all of our advised students have been accepted into prominent colleges throughout the world. Know More.

Harvard University

Inaugurating with the tastiest apple in the crate, Harvard University is the most prestigious educational institution in the world. Founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, over 140 years before the U.S. won independence from Great Britain, Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

Across 10 faculties, students can pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields ranging from professional fields like medicine, business, law, and liberal arts to degrees in social studies and liberal arts. It is a private university, which makes it more expensive than many well-known public universities in this country.

There have been 48 Nobel laureates, 24 other heads of state, 8 U.S. presidents, and 48 Pulitzer prize winners from this university. Besides this, 110 other Nobel laureates have also been affiliated with Harvard University whether as current professors, visiting scholars, alumni, research scholars.

Harvard will be the perfect launching pad for your dream to reach the stars if you believe that you are destined for something much greater than most others.

University of Pennsylvania

After Penn and Harvard, Pennsylvania University is the country's fourth-oldest higher education institution. It was founded in West Philadelphia in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin as a private research university.

TheUniversity of Pennsylvania was one of the first American universities to adopt the multidisciplinary model already seen in numerous European universities. It also made important contributions to the evolution of education by creating the first business school in America. Namely, the Wharton School, the first school of medicine in North America. Columbia University's Perelman School of Medicine, as well as the first student union in the United States.

The University of Pennsylvania has admitted over 21,000 students since its inception, making it one of the most sought-after institutions. With 11 schools, it offers undergraduate and graduates studies in business, law, the arts, medicine, and sciences.

As compared to the other three Ivy League colleges, Pennsylvania only has one US President to its name. But it is the only school to have eight signers of the Declaration of Independence. Furthermore, 14 heads of state, 3 justices of the US Supreme Court, and 35 Nobel laureates have been affiliated with the University.

Yale University

This third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States was founded by Calvinist missionaries in 1701 as a college. Thousands of students flock to Yale every year from all over the world.

Upon moving to New Haven, Connecticut, the name was formally changed to Yale College to honor the governor of the British East India Company, Elihu Yale, who donated generously to the school. Students can choose from 14 different colleges offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in medicine, law, business, drama, and music.

This is another expensive school, with tuition, room, and board totaling $67,480. For inclusiveness across class categories, it offers a healthy percentage of need-based financial aid.

61 Nobel laureates, five US presidents, five Supreme Court justices, and six other heads of state are among the prestigious alumni who have studied at Yale University.

Columbia University

Living in an American city automatically translates to living in New York for foreigners who have only experienced the US through movies and popular culture. In the United States, any business or restaurant that opens an office in Manhattan is said to have made it big.

It doesn't matter if you're a fan of Friends, Seinfeld, or The Hunger Games and you want to study at a renowned university while living in New York City, Columbia is your answer. The University of Columbia was established as King's College in 1754 and originally was affiliated with the Church of England. It is ranked 12th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

New York University is the oldest higher education institution in New York and is the fifth-oldest in the United States. It was founded by royal charter in response to the establishment of Princeton University in New Jersey. After independence, the institution became Columbia College, and then Columbia University in 1896.

Several undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered at the university, including the M.D. degree, which was the first to be awarded in the United States. The University has the largest undergraduate enrollment among the Ivy League schools, with 22,900 students currently enrolled.

Columbia University has hatched 96 Nobel laureates, five Founding Fathers of the United States, 29 heads of states, three Presidents of the United States and ten justices of the Supreme Court. In addition to it, 125 Pulitzer Prize winners have come from the University, which administers the prize each year.

Princeton University

Public opinion often places Princeton University behind its two Ivy League rivals listed above, but the University is considered to be in the same league as those Universities.

Harvard and Princeton have battled for the top spot in US university rankings and Princeton is one of the top colleges in the world. The College of New Jersey was formerly known as the College of Elizabeth when it was founded in 1746. One year later, it relocated to Newark, followed by nine years in Princeton, New Jersey.

A four-decade-old institution of higher education in the U.S. was renamed Princeton University in 1896. In addition to tuition, lodging, and boarding, the expected cost is $73,450, more than either Harvard or Yale. According to their needs, students are usually offered an average of $53,100 worth of financial assistance.

Over the years, Princeton has produced 65 Nobel Prize laureates, 2 U.S Presidents, 12 Supreme Court justices, plus 15 Field Medal winners and 13 Turing Award winners.

Even Albert Einstein maintained close ties to the university through his frequent lectures and visits. If you still have doubts, consider that you'll be walking in the same halls as one of history's most brilliant minds.

That's all there is to say about the best Ivy League universities in the US. Of course, there are other institutions of higher education that are equally as renowned. If you want more information like this stay tuned with us or drop us a line at study abroad@collegedekho.com. Over the past few years, our expert counselors have helped tons of students to inaugurate their careers successfully in foreign lands. Know More.