Are Ivy League Schools the Problem?

Image via Private School Review

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While Ivy League colleges tend to pride themselves on their elitism, it is interesting to note that many of their students seem to be unremarkably similar. In fact, these universities’ elite standard set their alumni apart from the rest of the U.S. A total of sixteen presidents attended an Ivy League school, six of them within the last 50 years. Out of the nine Supreme Court justices, eight received an Ivy League education. A total of 48% of Cabinet members under the Biden administration and 21% of Cabinet members under the Trump administration attended an Ivy League institution. This is important because the leaders who shape our politics, economy, and societal norms are often educated in selective environments that can lead to a skewed way of thinking and leading. By encouraging exclusivity and status-based social circles, Ivy League institutions reinforce discriminatory practices and uphold the inequalities that exist among America’s elite. 

Ivy League schools set a standard for the types of students who can attend through their tuition costs, creating a categorical divide between students from wealthier families and lower-income families. Although these institutions offer financial aid, a majority of the students do not receive full-ride scholarships and therefore struggle to pay tuition costs or garner hundreds of thousands in debt. It is this advantage that provides wealthy, privileged students with greater access to opportunities and crucial financial resources that strengthen their resumes for post-graduation. 

Additionally, Ivy League schools have historically placed significant value on legacy admissions, which favor applicants with familial connections to alumni. These institutions favor legacy applicants because they help maintain relationships with graduates who are more likely to donate, which is beneficial to institutional rankings and reputation. By prioritizing the ability to pay for attendance at these institutions, Ivy League schools create a disproportionate number of opportunities academically and professionally, allowing existing inequalities to persist in the real world. Although the top one percent do not have the formal power to make executive decisions, Professor William Domhoff of UC Santa Cruz points out that the elites have the ability to set the terms under which other groups and classes must operate. Without diverse perspectives, these terms will be monotonous and restrictive. In fact, the lack of diverse perspectives limits innovation and creativity in society, reinforcing the same systems and ideas rather than utilizing alternative methods to address societal challenges.

Beyond admissions, Ivy League institutions perpetuate inequality by creating exclusive social and professional networks that give attendees and graduates greater access to positions of power than a fair selection based on qualifications would. In today’s world, there are often more qualified applicants than available jobs, so who one knows and who trusts them can set them apart. When filling positions of power, employers tend to favor an Ivy League applicant over a state school applicant. Between fifty and eighty percent of jobs are filled through networking before they are publicly advertised, and schools as prestigious as Ivies have strong institutional loyalty among their alumni. This loyalty benefits current students, especially when interviewing for internships or long-term positions. This deep-rooted loyalty to the Ivy League turns these prestigious universities into gatekeepers, ensuring that access to top roles in any professional sphere is a matter of pedigree rather than true merit.

Ivy League institutions don’t just lead in education, but ultimately dictate who gains access to wealth, influence, and leadership in the U.S. By prioritizing financial privilege and exclusive networks, institutions rank connections higher than genuine merit. A more inclusive society would abandon these systems and recognize that power exists beyond these institutions. After all, a powerful society is a society of diversity, inclusion, and merit. 

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This article was edited by Anita Boniface and Sophie Reilly.