Don’t let our name fool you. We at Ivy Coach don’t believe that Ivy League schools are the only suitable undergraduate option for the best and brightest high schoolers. Just as we advise our clients to look into the local public high school before signing their children up for an expensive private education, we also recognize that sometimes the best college experience can be found at one of the many highly prestigious public universities across America. So, without any further ado, let’s review which public universities take the cake!

Who Are The Public Ivies?

The University of Michigan

UMichigan, located in scenic Ann Arbor, isn’t just one of the top public colleges in the world — it’s one of the top colleges, full stop. This research powerhouse is almost entirely privately funded, but it retains the public university distinction because of a nominal amount of funding received from the state of Michigan.

The University of Virginia

UVA is located on a campus many consider the most beautiful and architecturally significant out there. Many of the top students in the world actually choose to attend UVA via the incredibly prestigious Jefferson Scholarship, which is the most competitive merit scholarship in the nation, rather than attend an Ivy League school.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

UNC is a rising star among elite colleges. Fans of the new season of HBO’s White Lotus will recall the scene where a father pressures his son to attend Duke rather than UNC, which just goes to show how much UNC has ascended the ranks of American higher education in recent years. A couple of years ago, attending Duke wouldn’t even be a question. But UNC is now a force to be reckoned with. Some may even choose it over an Ivy!

The University of California, Los Angeles

UCLA is the most popular college in the country. We’re not kidding! For fall 2024, UCLA received a total of 173,651 applications, which set a world record for the largest application pool. And why? This world-renowned university is among the most academically rigorous and socially vibrant schools known to man!

The University of California, Berkeley

No one quite does it like Berkeley. From its remarkable history as a hub of student activism to its current status as one of the major entrepreneurial incubators of Silicon Valley, UC Berkeley has cemented its status as a wonderful alternative to an Ivy League education without losing touch with its hippy roots.

The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin is an academic oasis for Texas’ top students, as the top 6% of every high school graduating class in Texas automatically gets admitted. But don’t let this generous policy fool you. For the rest of us, getting into UT Austin is no walk in the park. Acceptance rates continue to dwindle at this top public university because of its stellar reputation for cutting-edge research.

When to Choose a Top Public College Over a Top Private College

Each year, many of Ivy Coach’s students face a decision that looks something like this: you got into many different schools, and are deciding between your top picks. Taking a page out of HBO’s book, let’s say that these two schools are indeed UNC and Duke. Duke, you could reason, is the better option. It’s more selective, prestigious, and has the most renowned faculty. However, UNC, on the other hand, might have a student culture that resonates with you more, and perhaps it’s the more affordable option. What are you to do?

Well, you could keep watching The White Lotus to see what the kid faced with this predicament does. Or, you can plug your family’s finances into each school’s Net Price Calculator to get an estimate for your family’s expected contribution. You could then get in touch with current Duke and UNC students and ask them all those burning questions about what life is like on campus. You might even consider visiting both campuses (assuming you haven’t already!) to start placing yourself in an enrolled student’s day-to-day life.

No matter what path you choose (we cannot recall ever having a student choose UNC over Duke), Ivy Coach is here to help guide you through the admissions and college selection processes. Simply fill out our complimentary consultation form to get started.