What exactly is a "Public Ivy"?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>My understanding of the term is that it refers to a school that would be in the Ivy League but isn't because it's a public school.
For example, SUNY Binghamton is considered a public ivy.</p>

<p>Is my interpretation correct? I've heard the phrase used and was never really quite sure as to its real meaning.</p>

2

<p>Not really. The Ivy League is a sports conference that has gained an academic reputation because all of the schools in it are academically excellent. Thus, “Ivy” has come to mean “excellent school” in many ways. “Public Ivy” is just a descriptor some people use to indicate a group of the most selective public universities, or those with the highest reputation. It does not mean that they would be included in the Ivy League but for being public, as few public schools had the ties to the other schools in the Ivy League necessary for logical inclusion in their sports conference.</p>

3

<p>It’s just a term applied to the top couple public schools in the country (UVa, UNC, Berkeley, Michigan, W&M, UCLA). I don’t think I would consider SUNY Binghamton a public ivy, however, since no one has ever really defined which schools fall under this category the application of it can be pretty broad.</p>

4

<p>There are a few people who have gone around trying to define what a Public Ivy is.
SUNY Binghamton isn’t on Moll’s list of the 8 original Public Ivies, but it is included in the newer list from Greene’s Guides.</p>

<p>For more information and full list:
[Public</a> Ivy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Ivy]Public”>Public Ivy - Wikipedia)</p>

5

<p>Ah I see. Thanks for the explanation. I was not aware of sports being the defining “Ivy” trait.</p>

6

<p>For an explanation of the concept, see my posts #7 & #25 in this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/963768-what-public-ivies.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/963768-what-public-ivies.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>& post #57 & #74 in this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/697411-public-ivy-leagues-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/697411-public-ivy-leagues-4.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Sorry for the duplicate post, didn’t think to search the forums. Very helpful!</p>

8

<p>I’m sure than Binghamton and many other better-than-average publics like to consider themselves “Public Ivies.” I like to think of myself as the poor woman’s George Clooney, but no women actually think that I’m George Clooney and George himself has never heard of me. :)</p>

9

<p>Its a joke term used by people that want to make it sound like some group of universities have the same cachet as the Ivy league. See also “little Ivies” for another collection of schools.</p>

10

<p>I think it seeks to identify schools that have a faculty and overall quality superior to other publics–the cream of the publics. Public Ivy is just a catchier term and has little to do with either being a joke or emulating Ivy cachet. It is more based on quality measures than social cachet although some social cachet has become attached to some Public Ivies.</p>