- Ivy League undergraduate tuition now ranges from USD 59,320 at Harvard to USD 74,568 at Brown, with the total cost of attendance approaching USD 100,000 a year at Cornell, Columbia and Brown once housing and fees are included
- Acceptance rates span roughly 3.7% at Harvard to 8.4% at Cornell
- All eight schools sit in the top 15 of the 2025 U.S
- News National Universities ranking, and Harvard now provides free tuition for families earning under USD 200,000.
If you are an international student hoping to study in the United States, you have almost certainly heard of the Ivy League. These eight private universities in the northeastern US are regarded as some of the best in the world for teaching, research and graduate outcomes. This guide covers what the Ivy League is, which universities it includes, their tuition fees, acceptance rates and how to apply.
What Is the Ivy League?
The Ivy League is a group of eight private universities in the northeastern United States: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Penn, Brown and Dartmouth. Originally a college athletic conference formed in 1954, the name now signifies academic excellence, selective admissions, generous financial aid and strong graduate outcomes worldwide.
The phrase Ivy League began as the name of a college sporting conference involving eight universities, most of them in north-eastern America. Over time it came to describe institutions with fiercely competitive academics rather than just athletics. The Ivy League universities are among the best in the world, not only in the US, with very high admission standards and correspondingly difficult selection processes.
Which Universities Are in the Ivy League?
Eight universities make up the Ivy League: Harvard (founded 1636), Yale (1701), Penn (1740), Princeton (1746), Columbia (1754), Brown (1764), Dartmouth (1769) and Cornell (1865). Seven were founded before American independence, while Cornell is the youngest. Together they enrol over 60,000 undergraduates across campuses in the northeastern states.
- Harvard University
- Yale University
- Princeton University
- Columbia University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Brown University
- Dartmouth College
- Cornell University
Harvard University
Harvard University, founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the oldest university in the United States and consistently ranks among the world's best. It enrols about 7,150 undergraduates, admits roughly 3.7% of applicants, and is renowned for its faculty, research output and strength in law, business, medicine and the social sciences.
Columbia University
Columbia University, founded in 1754 in New York City, is an Ivy League research university known for its liberal arts core curriculum and professional schools. It enrols around 6,700 undergraduates across Columbia College and its engineering school, admits about 3.9% of applicants, and offers strong programmes in engineering, journalism, business and the sciences.
Yale University
Yale University, founded in 1701 in New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the oldest Ivy League schools, with about 6,500 undergraduates and an acceptance rate near 3.9%. Yale is celebrated for its residential college system, its drama and music programmes, and Yale Law School, regularly ranked among the finest law schools in the country.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740 in Philadelphia, enrols roughly 9,960 undergraduates and admits about 5.4% of applicants. Home to the Wharton School, the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Penn attracts a large international community drawn from more than 100 countries.
Princeton University
Princeton University, founded in 1746 in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the Ivy League's founding members, with about 5,300 undergraduates and an acceptance rate near 4.6%. Princeton focuses heavily on undergraduate teaching and research and, unusually, has no medical, law or business school, though it excels in the sciences, engineering and public policy.
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College, founded in 1769 in Hanover, New Hampshire, is the smallest Ivy, with roughly 4,550 undergraduates and an acceptance rate near 5.3%. Dartmouth combines a strong liberal arts focus with respected graduate schools, including the Tuck School of Business, the Thayer School of Engineering and the Geisel School of Medicine.
Cornell University
Cornell University, founded in 1865 in Ithaca, New York, is the youngest Ivy League school and the largest, with about 15,500 undergraduates and an acceptance rate near 8.4%. Cornell is known for its breadth, offering highly regarded programmes in engineering, agriculture and life sciences, hotel administration, and industrial and labor relations.
Brown University
Brown University, founded in 1764 in Providence, Rhode Island, enrols about 7,350 undergraduates and admits roughly 5.2% of applicants. Brown is known for its liberal Open Curriculum, which lets students design much of their own course of study, and for strengths in the humanities, biology, international relations and computer science.
Insurance for international students in the USARead →What Are the Tuition Fees at Ivy League Universities?
Ivy League undergraduate tuition for 2025-26 and 2026-27 ranges from about USD 59,320 at Harvard to USD 74,568 at Brown, taken from each university's official cost pages. With housing, food and fees, the total cost of attendance reaches roughly USD 87,000 to USD 100,000, though most students receive substantial need-based aid.
The table below lists the annual undergraduate tuition published on each university's own official cost page. Figures are the latest available for the 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic year. Remember that tuition is only part of the bill: adding housing, food and mandatory fees pushes the full cost of attendance towards USD 100,000 a year, before financial aid.
| University 2026 | Annual Undergraduate Tuition (USD) | Academic Year |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | 59,320 | 2025-26 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 63,204 | 2025-26 |
| Princeton University | 68,140 | 2026-27 |
| Dartmouth College | 71,697 | 2026-27 |
| Yale University | 72,500 | 2026-27 |
| Columbia University | 72,800 | 2026-27 |
| Cornell University | 73,946 | 2025-26 |
| Brown University | 74,568 | 2026-27 |
How Do You Apply to Ivy League Universities?
Applying to an Ivy League university means submitting academic transcripts, standardised test scores where required, letters of recommendation, essays or a statement of purpose, a resume and proof of English proficiency such as IELTS or TOEFL. International students apply through the Common Application or each school's own portal, plus an application fee.
Ivy League universities share broadly similar requirements, though each has its own deadlines and supplements, so always check the specific university website. The general application requirements for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants are listed below.
- Completed application via the Common Application or the university's own portal
- Official academic transcripts and school records
- Standardised test scores where required (SAT or ACT for undergraduate; GMAT, GRE, LSAT or MCAT for specific graduate programmes)
- Two or more letters of recommendation
- Personal essays or a statement of purpose
- Proof of English proficiency such as IELTS or TOEFL for international students
- Resume or CV, plus the required application fee
What Are the Acceptance Rates at Ivy League Colleges?
Ivy League acceptance rates are among the lowest in the world, ranging from about 3.7% at Harvard and 3.9% at Columbia and Yale to 8.4% at Cornell, the most accessible of the eight. These figures reflect record applicant numbers and highly selective, holistic admissions that weigh academics, essays and extracurricular achievement.
The acceptance rate is the share of applicants a university admits, expressed as a percentage. Because the Ivy League schools are so selective, their acceptance rates are extremely low, which makes them among the hardest universities in the world to get into. The table below shows the undergraduate enrolment and acceptance rate for each Ivy.
| University 2026 | Undergraduate Enrolment | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | 7,153 | 3.7% |
| Columbia University | 6,716 | 3.9% |
| Yale University | 6,536 | 3.9% |
| Princeton University | 5,321 | 4.6% |
| Brown University | 7,349 | 5.2% |
| Dartmouth College | 4,556 | 5.3% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 9,962 | 5.4% |
| Cornell University | 15,503 | 8.4% |
What Should You Consider Before Applying to the Ivy League?
Before applying, weigh whether an Ivy League school fits your field: Princeton lacks business, law and medical schools, while some specialisms are stronger elsewhere. Consider the very low acceptance rates, the need for outstanding academics plus extracurricular distinction, and the high cost of attendance balanced against generous need-based financial aid and scholarships.
- Ivy League universities have very low acceptance rates, so admission is highly competitive.
- High test scores and strong transcripts are expected, alongside distinction in areas such as sport, research or community service.
- Check that the school is genuinely strong in your chosen field; for example, Princeton has no business, law or medical school, and a specialist programme may be stronger at another university.
- Plan your finances early, and explore the generous need-based aid and scholarships that each Ivy offers to international students.
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