<p>
They can. I’ll give examples:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Oxford and Cambridge (though Oxford is more widely known, Cambridge is more respected for sciences and engineering)</p></li>
<li><p>Dartmouth and Brown (though Dartmouth has more clout in the business world)</p></li>
<li><p>Columbia and UPenn </p></li>
<li><p>Chicago and Northwestern</p></li>
<li><p>Williams and Amherst</p></li>
</ol>