Public Ivy


"Public Ivy" is a term coined by author Richard Moll in his book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities to refer to universities in the United States that are said to provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public university price. The Public Ivies, according to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, are capable of "successfully competing with the Ivy League schools in academic rigor... attracting superstar faculty and in competing for the best and brightest students of all races." An expanded list of 30 colleges and universities was provided by Howard and Matthew Greene in their 2001 book The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities.

Origin of the term

Moll, who earned his Master of Divinity degree from Yale University in 1959, was an admissions officer at Yale and the director of admissions at Bowdoin College, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Vassar College. He traveled the nation examining higher education and identified eight public institutions that he thought had the look and feel of an Ivy League university. In addition to academic excellence, other factors considered by Moll include appearance, age, and school traditions.

Moll's list of Public Ivies (1985)

Moll also offered in the same book "a list of worthy runners-up":
The 2001 book The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities by Howard and Matthew Greene of Greenes' Guides included 30 colleges and universities.
;Northeastern
;Mid-Atlantic
;Southern
;Western
;Great Lakes & Midwest

Books