Within Europe, it's probably essentially a tie. However, globally, you can't beat an Ivy IMO (possible exception of Oxbridge).

Hence:
UPenn (Wharton) > Columbia > Brown > UPenn (other) > Cornell = Imperial > UCL

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 6

Gridiron-Gangster

Depends on the subject and it's quite tricky to compare an institution which offers speciallist science/engineering programmes with those that offer a full range.

Reply 7

roh

Original post by Eldedu

Stanford and MIT?

Reply 8

Eldedu

Original post by roh

Stanford and MIT?

Not quite the same jaw-dropping factor in most circles (unjustly so, but there you have it).

Reply 9

roh

Original post by Eldedu

Not quite the same jaw-dropping factor in most circles (unjustly so, but there you have it).

Surely just as many people will have heard of Stanford or MIT (even if it's only from 21) as Brown or Penn? They don't have Harvard or Yale's name recognition factor but I think they're as known as other Ivies.

Reply 10

Eldedu

Original post by roh

On a name by name basis, you might be right (by a narrow margin), but with Brown or Penn if your conversational partner is not familiar with them, chances are they'll recognize the ivy brand and make up kudos that way, a resource SFD and MIT lack

Reply 11

mast

Even in the US, MIT and Stanford are more prestigious than UPenn(except for Wharton) & Brown. Internationally, the reputation of both plus Chicago and maybe UC Berkeley are on par(or ok, maybe a little below) with Yale, Princenton, Cambridge, Oxford and Columbia but all below Harvard.

I think overall it would be something like this:
Columbia>Imperial>UPenn>/=Cornell>UCL>Brown

In the UK Imperial may be bigger than Columbia and UCL is bigger than UPenn and Cornell by a small margin.

In the US I think it is Columbia>Penn>/=Cornell>Brown>>Imperial>/=UCL

Also, I don't know why Columbia is not as famous internationally as Princenton,Yale and Harvard. For me it is better or at least equal to the three.

Reply 12

roh

Original post by Eldedu

That's probably true, in the same way having Oxbridge in it adds Kudos to the rest of the RG having HY(P maybe too) adds to the prestige of the remaining Ivies.

Ironic really that their commitment to not being as good as Stanford at something, college sport, has led to them being more widely recognised than it!

Reply 13

Eldedu

Original post by roh

Definitely remarkable, especially considering that normally the opposite is true: Notre Dame is better known than Amherst almost entirely on the strength of the Fighting Irish.

Reply 14

roh

Original post by Eldedu

Definitely remarkable, especially considering that normally the opposite is true: Notre Dame is better known than Amherst almost entirely on the strength of the Fighting Irish.

Indeed, you'd have thought having your name plastered all over the tele every Saturday would improve your profile! Just out of interest do they even show the Harvard-Yale (I refuse to call it 'The Game', that's Michigan vs. Ohio State) game on tv any more?

Particularly recently with Andrew Luck being the poster boy of college football up until this draft. Though I suppose internationally college football doesn't gather much attention and contribute to the college's profile.

Reply 15

Eldedu

Original post by roh

I'm not sure they do, as I don't live in the US, but I doubt it, because it must be crap.

International college football doesn't gather attention as you say but you'd think Stanford's Olympic record at least might publicize them...it doesn't, of course.

Strange strange world.

Reply 16

roh

Original post by Eldedu

Yeah, ditto for Texas and Michigan both of which seem to churn out plenty of Olympians.

Reply 17

samendrag

I think its Columbia = imperial > ucl > brown = Upenn

Reply 18

kshiwy

As an international student applying for both UK&US unis this year, I'd say now imo Columbia >Upenn >Brown >Cornell >Imperial >UCL. I really love Imperial and UCL after visiting them last summer. However, I don't think it's compatible with the Ivy League schools when it comes to international recognition.