Little Ivies

The Little Ivies are an unofficial group of small, academically competitive private liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The term Little Ivy derives from these schools' small student bodies, standards of academic excellence, associated historic social prestige, and highly selective admissions comparable to the Ivy League.

According to Bloomberg, the Little Ivies are also known for their large financial endowments, both absolutely and relative to their size.

[9] The term is generally and most associated with the colleges of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), with select schools from the Liberty League, Patriot League and the Centennial Conference.

The term is inspired by the "Big Three" Ivy League athletic rivalry between Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

Painting of the campus of Bucknell University , a member of the Little Ivies, as it appeared in 1907