Ivy League Enumeration

Okay, quick question out of pure curiosity. How many Ivy League schools are there, exactly? Is every prestigious school considered 'Ivy' or is it a specific group?

There are a total of eight Ivy League schools, all of which are quite prestigious. The term "Ivy League" does, in fact, refer to a specific group of colleges, which originated as an athletic conference, but has now come to connote a level of academic prowess and exclusivity.

The Ivy League schools, in no particular order, are:

1. Harvard University

2. Yale University

3. Princeton University

4. Columbia University

5. Dartmouth College

6. University of Pennsylvania

7. Brown University

8. Cornell University

While it's common for people to use "Ivy League" as a shorthand for "prestigious school," not every top-tier college or university is an Ivy. Schools like Stanford University, MIT, University of Chicago, and Duke University, all phenomenal and highly ranked institutions, are not Ivy League schools. They do, however, fall into a broader category often referred to as "elite" or "top-tier" colleges.

It's important to note that excellent educational opportunities exist at numerous institutions beyond the Ivy League or even beyond what might be considered "elite" universities, each with its own strengths to offer based on the student's individual needs and goals.