"Public Ivies" is a nickname, not a conference or a ranking. Richard Moll coined it in his 1985 book The Public Ivys for public universities he felt offered an Ivy League–style undergraduate education at a public price. His list named eight: William & Mary, Miami University, the University of California, Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin, Vermont and Virginia.
Where the term "Public Ivy" comes from
Richard Moll had spent his career in college admissions when he wrote a guide to the public universities he admired, spelling the term "Public Ivys." The Ivy League itself is an athletic conference of eight private universities in the Northeast, so the Public Ivies have no connection to it beyond the nickname. There is no official list, and nobody maintains one; later guidebooks published their own, longer lists, which is why you'll see different counts online.
The original eight Public Ivies
Moll's list, with today's figures for each school:
| School | State | Undergrads | Acceptance rate | First-years from out of state | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William & Mary | VA | 7,055 | 34.1% | 41% | $25,914 | $51,038 |
| Miami University (Oxford) | OH | 16,656 | 75.4% | 36% | $18,161 | $41,221 |
| University of Michigan | MI | 34,177 | 15.6% | 48% | $17,736 | $60,946 |
| UNC Chapel Hill | NC | 20,752 | 15.3% | 16% | $8,994 | $41,203 |
| UT Austin | TX | 42,855 | 26.6% | 13% | $11,688 | $44,908 |
| University of Vermont | VT | 11,743 | 65.3% | 80% | $19,058 | $45,502 |
| University of Virginia | VA | 17,597 | 16.8% | 34% | $21,803 | $59,512 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions and first-year residency for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Moll counted the University of California as one entry. In 1985 that meant eight undergraduate campuses:
| School | State | Undergrads | Acceptance rate | First-years from out of state | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | CA | 33,068 | 11.0% | 16% | $16,347 | $50,547 |
| UC Davis | CA | 32,253 | 41.8% | 22% | $16,774 | $50,974 |
| UC Irvine | CA | 30,197 | 28.6% | 26% | $15,722 | $49,922 |
| UCLA | CA | 33,475 | 9.0% | 21% | $15,203 | $49,403 |
| UC Riverside | CA | 22,593 | 76.4% | 4% | $15,606 | $49,806 |
| UC San Diego | CA | 34,948 | 26.7% | 22% | $16,758 | $50,958 |
| UC Santa Barbara | CA | 23,113 | 33.0% | 18% | $16,414 | $50,614 |
| UC Santa Cruz | CA | 17,940 | 65.8% | 8% | $16,005 | $50,205 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions and first-year residency for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
The runners-up
Moll also named nine "worthy runners-up":
| School | State | Undergrads | Acceptance rate | First-years from out of state | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton University (SUNY) | NY | 14,655 | 38.6% | 18% | $10,567 | $30,447 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | CO | 31,939 | 78.1% | 46% | $15,666 | $44,918 |
| Georgia Tech | GA | 18,785 | 14.1% | 39% | $12,058 | $34,484 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 36,258 | 42.4% | 29% | $16,004 | $35,124 |
| New College of Florida | FL | 843 | 73.2% | 22% | $6,916 | $29,944 |
| Penn State (University Park) | PA | 42,284 | 60.6% | 47% | $20,644 | $41,790 |
| University of Pittsburgh | PA | 20,370 | 58.1% | 36% | $21,926 | $41,430 |
| University of Washington | WA | 31,942 | 39.1% | 36% | $12,973 | $43,209 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | 36,902 | 45.2% | 55% | $11,603 | $42,103 |
Sources: IPEDS (undergraduate enrollment; admissions and first-year residency for the fall 2024 entering class); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
New College of Florida was part of the University of South Florida in 1985 and is now a separate public college.
What the label tells you, and what it doesn't
The list is now four decades old. Universities change a great deal in forty years, and many public universities that weren't on it would fit the same description today. Read "Public Ivy" as a piece of history, not a verdict.
What the tables do show is how different these schools are from one another. William & Mary has about 7,000 undergraduates; UT Austin has nearly 43,000. Miami University admitted 75.4% of applicants for fall 2024; UCLA admitted 9.0%. A student who would thrive at one may feel lost at another.
In-state or out-of-state: the price can triple
Every school on these lists is public, so where you live changes what you pay. At the University of Virginia, published tuition is $21,803 a year for Virginians and $59,512 for everyone else. UNC Chapel Hill charges $8,994 in-state and $41,203 out-of-state. These are prices before aid; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Who enrolls differs too. About 80% of Vermont's first-year students came from out of state, while at UT Austin and UNC Chapel Hill most first-years were from their home states.
Is a Public Ivy right for you?
A few questions are worth more than the label:
- Am I in-state for any of these schools, and what would each cost my family?
- Do I want a campus of 7,000 students or 40,000?
- Would I rather be in a college town, like Chapel Hill, Ann Arbor or Burlington, or in a city, like Austin, Los Angeles or Pittsburgh?
- Several of these universities admit you into a specific school or major. Do I know what I want to study?
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, before you build your list. Start with Lens →
FAQ
What are the Public Ivies? A nickname from Richard Moll's 1985 book for public universities he felt offered an Ivy League–style education. His original eight were William & Mary, Miami University, the University of California, Michigan, UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin, Vermont and Virginia.
How many Public Ivies are there? Moll named eight, plus nine runners-up. Later guidebooks published their own lists, so there's no single official number.
Is the University of Michigan a Public Ivy? Yes. Michigan was on Moll's original list in 1985.
Are the Public Ivies part of the Ivy League? No. The Ivy League is an athletic conference of eight private universities. "Public Ivy" is only a nickname.
Are Public Ivies cheaper than the Ivy League? For in-state students, usually by a lot. Out-of-state published tuition at these schools ranges from about $30,000 to $61,000 a year before aid; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
College pages on Lens
- UNC Chapel Hill
- UT Austin
- University of Michigan
- University of Virginia
- UC Berkeley
- UCLA
- Georgia Tech
- Illinois
- Penn State
- Pitt
- Washington
- Wisconsin