Iowans can get an Ivy League experience closer to home, according to Forbes' New Ivies list

Paris Barraza, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

Iowa high schoolers determining where to apply for college may want to know that there are Ivy League-level schools closer to home.

That’s according to Forbes, which published a list of new public and private schools in America that the media company deemed the new Ivy League schools based on admission rates, standardized test scores and more.

The New Ivies are schools that have the high-caliber graduates employers want, Forbes described.

No schools in Iowa made the list.

But there are several schools in neighboring Iowa states that did — and that means Iowa students considering an out-of-state education may want to turn their attention not to the Ivy League East Coast but to the Midwest.

What are the best public universities in the Midwest?

Graduates fill the field during commencement Saturday, May 11, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.
Graduates fill the field during commencement Saturday, May 11, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin - Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.

Forbes chose 10 state universities in the United States for its “New Ivies” list.

The list includes three Midwestern schools:

  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison

What are the best private universities in the Midwest?

The golden dome of the main administration building shines on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana.
The golden dome of the main administration building shines on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana.

Forbes also chose 10 private schools in America.

The list includes two Midwestern schools:

  • Northwestern University, Illinois

  • University of Notre Dame, Indiana

How did Forbes pick its New Ivies list?

Forbes did not consider the current eight Ivy League schools, which are Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Dartmouth College and Cornell University. In addition, the publication did not consider the schools that are adjacent to the Ivy League, which are Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University and the University of Chicago.

Schools considered had at least 4,000 students, and the field was winnowed by looking for schools with high standardized test scores and a lower admission rate. Hiring managers were surveyed about the remaining field of schools, according to Forbes.

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Forbes New Ivies list includes 5 universities near Iowa