University of Virginia joins the ranks of Forbes’ “New Ivies”

Forbes named the University of Virginia a “New Ivy,” recognizing it among 20 schools attracting top talent and impressing employers alongside traditional Ivies.

Employers are increasingly looking beyond traditional Ivy League institutions in a shifting landscape of higher education prestige. A recent Forbes analysis highlights 20 exceptional colleges—10 public and 10 private institutions—including the University of Virginia. These schools are emerging as powerful alternatives to the historic Ivy League schools in terms of both graduate outcomes and employer preferences.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Latorre/Wikimedia Commons.

Employers show changing attitudes toward traditional Ivies

A comprehensive Forbes survey of business leaders reveals a notable shift in hiring preferences, with 37% of executives reporting they are less inclined to hire Ivy League graduates compared to five years ago, an increase from 33% in the previous year’s survey. The study, which encompassed feedback from nearly 400 high-level executives and managers, points to a broadening recognition of academic excellence beyond the traditional Ivy League institutions.

UVA meets rigorous selection criteria

The University of Virginia earned its “New Ivy” designation by meeting Forbes’ stringent requirements for its “Public New Ivies” list, which included:

• Enrollment threshold of at least 4,000 students for public institutions
• Selective admission rate below 50% for public universities
• Impressive median test scores: SAT of 1410 and ACT of 32 for public institutions

Methodology and exclusions

Forbes developed their rankings using recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, evaluating nonprofit, four-year, degree-granting institutions. The analysis deliberately excluded traditional Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Cornell, and Brown universities. The University of California system was also omitted due to its policy on test score reporting.

This story was generated in part by AI and edited by The Dogwood staff.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.