When people refer to top 20 and top 25 schools what are they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

T15 as defined above makes a lot of sense, even though it doesn't match US News every year. 15-25 you can argue about some of the candidates. Is Emory in or out of T25? UVa? Of course, Emory, UVa, and the other schools people argue about are all excellent. So in that sense it doesn't really matter.

it does matter. And there's no actual debate it's just trolls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

T15 as defined above makes a lot of sense, even though it doesn't match US News every year. 15-25 you can argue about some of the candidates. Is Emory in or out of T25? UVa? Of course, Emory, UVa, and the other schools people argue about are all excellent. So in that sense it doesn't really matter.

it does matter. And there's no actual debate it's just trolls.

Please explain why you believe this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

The same with Umich, did not rise until the methodology changes.

[Anonymous]

People here genuinely arguing over schools ranked a couple of spots apart as if it is somehow meaningful. Time to go outside and talk to another human being.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

No, it didn’t. It was ranked 23 in 2015, then 26, 24, 25, 25 before 28 in 2020. Your 28 is cherry-picked. Its ranking has been incredibly consistent for a decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

The same with Umich, did not rise until the methodology changes.

Michigan improved one spot in 2021. It was already rising before the methodology changes.

[Anonymous]

The schools that have the best colors on their football teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

No, it didn’t. It was ranked 23 in 2015, then 26, 24, 25, 25 before 28 in 2020. Your 28 is cherry-picked. Its ranking has been incredibly consistent for a decade.

I am not cherry picking. You and others decided to cherry pick Emory out of a "undisputed list" of T25 schools when Emory was ranked 20 in 2022, and 24 today, its lowest rank. Yet UVAs highest ranks before the methodology changes was 25 and 24 today, ranked as low as 28. Yet UVA is T25, and Emory isnt??? Yea im on to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

No, it didn’t. It was ranked 23 in 2015, then 26, 24, 25, 25 before 28 in 2020. Your 28 is cherry-picked. Its ranking has been incredibly consistent for a decade.

I am not cherry picking. You and others decided to cherry pick Emory out of a "undisputed list" of T25 schools when Emory was ranked 20 in 2022, and 24 today, its lowest rank. Yet UVAs highest ranks before the methodology changes was 25 and 24 today, ranked as low as 28. Yet UVA is T25, and Emory isnt??? Yea im on to you.

+1 the methodology changes actually started in 2023, Emory would probably still be ranked 20 if it didn't change, while UVA 25-28. Also those changes that helped public schools and hurt privates won't last in the trump era, especially if they get rid of the Department of Education. Thats where US news gets all it's pell grant data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

No, it didn’t. It was ranked 23 in 2015, then 26, 24, 25, 25 before 28 in 2020. Your 28 is cherry-picked. Its ranking has been incredibly consistent for a decade.

I am not cherry picking. You and others decided to cherry pick Emory out of a "undisputed list" of T25 schools when Emory was ranked 20 in 2022, and 24 today, its lowest rank. Yet UVAs highest ranks before the methodology changes was 25 and 24 today, ranked as low as 28. Yet UVA is T25, and Emory isnt??? Yea im on to you.

That was the first comment I made in this exceptionally stupid debate so, no, you are not “on to” anything. Again, UVA’s ranking has been remarkably consistent for about a decade, with the 28 being the one, cherry-picked outlier (I noticed you conveniently ignored the 23 in 2015, but cherry picking is what you do).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

No we don't, Emory is T25, UVA (and maybe Umich) are not. Emory has been Top 20 for years while UVA has never been.

Emory? lol no

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/emory-university-1564
Currently ranked 24
https://www.aronfrishberg.com/projects/usnehas historically been ranked higher than UVA for 30 years.

The second link is broken, here's another.
UVA was ranked as low as 28 in 2020. Emory has never been ranked lower than 24. UVA is T30, Emory is T20/25. UVA rose because of the methodology changes that started in 2021.
https://publicuniversityhonors.com/us-news-rankings-2025-which-universities-have-gained-or-lost-the-most-since-2018/

No, it didn’t. It was ranked 23 in 2015, then 26, 24, 25, 25 before 28 in 2020. Your 28 is cherry-picked. Its ranking has been incredibly consistent for a decade.

I am not cherry picking. You and others decided to cherry pick Emory out of a "undisputed list" of T25 schools when Emory was ranked 20 in 2022, and 24 today, its lowest rank. Yet UVAs highest ranks before the methodology changes was 25 and 24 today, ranked as low as 28. Yet UVA is T25, and Emory isnt??? Yea im on to you.

That was the first comment I made in this exceptionally stupid debate so, no, you are not “on to” anything. Again, UVA’s ranking has been remarkably consistent for about a decade, with the 28 being the one, cherry-picked outlier (I noticed you conveniently ignored the 23 in 2015, but cherry picking is what you do).

UVA has been consistently in and out of the T25. Thus it's a T30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is asked over and over every week.
Ivy+ has a fairly consistent definition based on studies using that term and defining it as The 8 ivies plusMIT Stanford Duke Uchicago. Most people would add the perennial T10 schools Caltech, Northwestern, Hopkins. Thats the T-15. After that using traditional strength of student body ranking the rest of the T25 are:
UCB, WashU, Rice, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, CMU, UCLA, Mich, UVa, ordered variously based on personal preference and bias but basically everyone agrees these are the 16-25 group of schools.

There are no large public’s in the top 25 schools. USNWR adjusted the ranking criteria to make some float to the top.

For undergraduate education SLACs are better than any of these schools outside of engineering/CS.

Only the top 5 SLACs seem worth it. When ranked against national universities, you have Williams at 18 and the other 4 in the top 30…and then they drop off a cliff.

The SLACs don't do well against the very top universities. But I'm not sure anyone at Pomona College wishes they were at Northwestern, Hopkins, Rice, Vanderbilt, or Chicago.

SLACs have a very different objective and purpose. They are more focussed towards undergraduate teaching, if looking at undergraduate teaching, its best to look at following:

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/undergrad-research-programs

This has all National Univ and SLACs ranked together.

This is a ridiculous list. Elon ranks higher than Brown and Williams? Arizona State above Carleton? Please come over here and buy this bridge I'm selling.

[Anonymous]

What do you think it means?

[Anonymous]

I think of T25 as all the ivies
Duke Chicago Northwestern Vandy Rice etc
UCLA UMich Cal
Emory and UVA Georgetown

I think of USC and NYU UNC and UT Austin as top 30, don’t care what the current rankings say.

I don’t think UCSB or any other UC is T30 - at all. Again don’t care what the current rankings say. UF and UGA are probably ranked rn but I don’t think of them that way. Sorry not sorry