10 Little Ivies As Good As The Actual Ivies

Ivy league schools have held their reputation as a chain of the most esteemed universities across North America. There are eight ivy league schools in the country, and they are some of the most competitive universities to get in. It includes Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Harvard University, and Brown University. All the ivy league schools have different strengths, but the student body comprises some of the brightest youth of the generation. Let us discuss, 10 Little Ivies As Good As The Actual Ivies.

10 Little Ivies As Good As The Actual Ivies

While the ivy league is an official group of athletic college divisions, little ivies are an unofficial group of liberal arts colleges that are as good as the actual ivy league schools. 

Some of the best little ivies include Amherst College, Haverford College, Vassar College, Tufts University, Connecticut College, Colby College, Swarthmore College, Wesleyan University, Bates College, and Middlebury College. Like the actual ivies, getting into the little ivy schools can get competitive as they enroll a small student body annually. There are eighteen little ivy schools across North America, particularly in New England. 

Amherst College

Amherst College is in Hampshire county, and this private liberal arts college is known as one of the most prestigious institutions in the country. At this college, undergraduate students choose from their 41 designated majors in science, social sciences, humanities, and arts. 

They have a small student body, and this college usually enrolls no more than 1,800 students annually. Undergraduate student housing is available whether they’re freshmen or seniors. Almost all of the students live on campus for the duration of their degree. 

Amherst college’s prerequisites to get into their school are:

  • SAT score above 1410 and ACT score above 31.
  • Amherst gives utmost importance to students with a high GPA, usually in the top 10 of their graduating high school class.
  • Extracurricular activities are also important
  • Recommendation letters highlighting the student’s character are also important
  • Well-structured essays are an important part of an aspiring Amherst college student’s application as well

Applicants who tick all of the prerequisites have a higher chance of getting into Amherst than other people who don’t meet those conditions. They get around 10,000 and more applications every year out of which they only choose around 1,700 or 1,800. The acceptance rate of Amherst is only 12% because of this with an impressive graduation rate of 93%.

Haverford College

Haverford College is well-known as one of the best liberal arts colleges in North America. It’s located in the Haverford community in Pennsylvania. It has a small student population of around 1,300 undergraduates and its impressive faculty members are recipients of Nobel prizes, Pulitzer prizes, Rhodes scholars, and Fulbright scholars. 

Almost all of the freshmen at Haverford college were among the top scholars in their graduating high school class. They offer 56 academic programs and almost all of their students live on campus for the entirety of their degree. 

Some of the popular majors at Haverford are biology, economics, psychology, political science, and English. The acceptance rate at Haverford is 18% with a 92% graduation rate. 

Vassar College

Vassar College is in Dutchess county in New York and it’s one of the most famous liberal arts colleges in New York. They are popular among students for their wide variety of majors and their spectacular financial aid opportunities for students in need. 

Some of the most famous majors taken at Vassar College are biological sciences, biology, mathematics, political science and government studies, neuroscience, experimental psychology and research, drama, and dramatics.

The average number of need-based aid offered here is around $50,000 and freshmen get the opportunity to gain grant packages up to $45,000. Their average tuition with amenities and boarding can go up to $72,000.

There are 51 majors offered here with various multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programs. There are more than 1,000 courses to explore at this prestigious college. They have an acceptance rate of 25% with a graduation rate of 92%.

Tufts University

Tufts University is located in Greater Boston and it’s a private research university with a freshmen undergraduate population of 6,000. There are more than 90 undergraduate majors to choose from and they offer various pre-college programs as well. There are ten schools and colleges across the Tufts University campus. 

Tuition at Tufts University before any kind of financial assistance can cost up to $79,000 with boarding and other amenities offered by the university. The annual tuition can go down to $37,000 after federal grants and financial aid from the university for the students in need. 

Tufts University has a graduation rate of 93% and an acceptance rate of 16%. To get into this university a student must have a spectacular GPA along with a high SAT or ACT score. The admissions panel also looks for students that show enthusiasm in the field of research and liberal arts. Their competitive admission process is on par with those of ivy league schools. 

Connecticut College

Connecticut College in New London is one of the most famous and prestigious colleges in the county. Just like most private liberal arts colleges on the list, it has a small undergraduate freshmen enrolment student population of around 1,800. All of the students live on campus for the entirety of their undergraduate degrees. 

Tuition here ranges from $75,000 to $80,000 for undergraduates annually before financial aid. After gaining federal grants and financial assistance from the college, this can go down to $30,000. 

Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to choose from the 41 majors offered here and they can also opt for a self-designed, interdisciplinary major. Just like most of the other little ivies, this school is a part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference. 

The acceptance rate at Connecticut college is 38% with a graduation rate of 81%. Among the various little ivies, this college has one of the highest acceptance rates. To get into this esteemed college, you must have a GPA close to 4.0 at least or make up for it by scoring well on SAT or ACT. 

Colby College

Colby college is a private and famous liberal arts college in the Kennebec County of Maine. It has one of the lowest acceptance rates among the little ivies and it’s one of the most selective schools in the country. It’s also one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in Maine. 

There are more than 55 majors to choose from and some of the most famous majors here are economics, political sciences, international studies, mathematics, computer science, psychology, and environmental science. Colby college strives to meet all of its students’ financial needs and offers different types of financial aid for the ones in need. 

The annual cost for studying at Colby college as an undergraduate cost around $75,000 before financial assistance and $20,000 after getting financial aid from the federal government as well as the university for the students who are unable to pay the whole tuition. 

Colby’s writing department is one of the most prestigious in Maine. As liberal arts colleges pay utmost attention to well-structured writing, the students of Colby need to have the means to write in any genre. The acceptance rate at Colby college is 10% with a 91% graduation rate. 

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College is well-known for its distinctive honors programs, and they’re one of the best liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Other than the academics, Swarthmore college’s campus is also regarded as one of the most beautiful ones in the country. 

You can choose from more than 50 majors offered at Swarthmore or design your own major. There’s an honors program available as well for students who wish to pursue an in-depth study of their major. 

Tuition here along with boarding can cost a freshman $73,000 annually without any assistance. After getting their financial aid and various grants approved, the cost can come down to $20,000. The aid offered by Swarthmore is loan-free and they strive to meet all of their students’ financial needs. 

The career service center at Swarthmore college guides students on what work-life will be like after they’ll be done with their education and offers them various opportunities to work as an intern. The acceptance rate at Swarthmore is 9% with a graduation rate of 94%. It’s one of the most competitive little ivies on the list. 

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University is considered to be one of the top liberal arts colleges of all time in North America. It’s located in the Middlesex County of Connecticut and it’s a forty-minute drive from Connecticut college, one of the other little ivies on the list. 

It is one of the first colleges to be included in the little ivies, popularly termed as a part of the little three which includes Amherst College and Williams College. There are more than 45 majors to choose from in the vast number of programs offered at Wesleyan University. Custom-designed majors are also available here for the ones who wish to make their own major. 

First-year students are encouraged to attend the first-year seminars designed specifically for them. Freshmen will also have access to a faculty advisor who will guide them through the expansive curriculum at Wesleyan. 

Tuition here costs $75,000 or more before any financial aid and after gaining various scholarships and grants it can come down to $25,000. Wesleyan enrolls a small number of undergraduates per year which doesn’t exceed more than 3,000. It has an acceptance rate of 21% with an 89% graduation rate. 

Bates College

Bates college is one of the most reputed liberal arts colleges in Maine as well as across the country. It was established in 1855 and as of now, it holds the position as one of the most selective colleges in the country with a student body that’s as good and hardworking as the ones in the actual ivies. 

Bates’ impressive alumni include members of the U.S Congress, Rhodes scholars, Emmy award winners, Pulitzer prize winners, and more than 80 Fulbright scholars. Freshmen and undergraduate students at Bates are encouraged to attend the special first-year seminar which will guide them through their four years at the college. 

There are forty-four majors to choose from at Bates college and students can opt for a dual major as well. More than half of the student body gets an opportunity to study abroad during the duration of their degree. Annual tuition costs $75,000 before aid and $26,000 after getting financial assistance. 

The acceptance rate at Bates college is 14% with a graduation rate of 89%. The dining facility at their campus is popular among the student body as well. 

Middlebury College

Middlebury College is located in Vermont and it’s one of the most well-known little ivies on the list. It introduced the first environmental studies program to be taught as a major across North American universities. At this college, you’ll get the opportunity to choose from more than forty majors along with an array of interdisciplinary programs. 

Middlebury also has an active athletic department with sports such as lacrosse, track and field, soccer, field hockey, and more. Freshmen at taught the importance of life skills and leadership to strengthen the relationship between the community. 

Just like most private liberal arts colleges in the country, Middlebury college enrolls only a small number of applicants annually. Their freshmen undergraduate student body falls around 2,500. Tuition here costs $76,000 annually and $26,000 after receiving scholarships and financial aid from the college as well as the state including the federal government. The acceptance rate at Middlebury college is 22% with a graduation rate of 91%. 

Conclusion

Most of the little ivies fall on the northeastern side of the country and they’re on par with the conditions set by the actual ivies. This group of schools includes colleges from the New England Small College Athletic Conference as well as several schools from other athletic conferences. 

Other popular little ivies in the country are Williams College, Bowdoin College, Colgate University, Bucknell college, Hamilton College, Lafayette College, and Trinity College. All of these colleges are considered to be as prestigious and competitive as the actual ivy league schools.