Which Colleges Are Considered Southern Ivies? #collegeapps #ivyleague #south #duke

 

What are Southern Ivies, and which colleges are usually included in that group?

The term Southern Ivies is used for private colleges and universities in the South that are seen as highly selective, academically strong, and prestigious.

The Ivy League is a group of eight private universities in the Northeast: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, U-Penn and Columbia. So when people mention Southern Ivies, they are usually talking about Southern schools that are seen as prestigious and academically rigorous.

Schools that often get included in that conversation are Duke, Vanderbilt, Rice, Emory, Tulane, Davidson, and sometimes schools like Wake Forest.

What makes these schools stand out is that many of them combine the smaller private school feel with a high level of academic prestige. Students are often drawn to them for smaller class sizes, more direct interaction with professors, strong writing and discussion-based academics, and campuses that feel more personal than a large university. Many of these schools also have strong national reputations and loyal alumni networks.

Just like Mini Ivies and Public Ivies, Southern Ivies is not an official admissions category. It is more of a nickname people use when talking about highly respected schools in the South.

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