The Demographics of the Ivy League

Are you looking for the demographics of the Ivy League? Dive in to learn about the ethnic breakdown in the Ivy League demographics

TCM Staff

13th October 2020

Ivy League schools are the most prestigious educational institutions in the United States of America. Along with offering world-class education in different fields, Ivy Leagues are home to a diverse population of students. From Native Americans to Asians, the demographics of the Ivy League institutions constitute students from every nook and cranny of the world, traveling wide and far to attain education in the world’s best universities and colleges.

'Ivy League' was coined in the year 1954 as a residue of the NCAA athletic conference. The grandeur of these private schools commenced with their extraordinary performance in the field of sports. Today, Ivy Leagues have branched beyond their 'sports extraordinaire' status to attain equal (or more) prestige in the field of Arts, Science, and Bussiness. 

Currently, the Ivy League is a community of 8 private member schools. The list of the Ivy League schools include,

Who forms the Ivy League demographic?

According to the latest statistics, the current Ivy League population equates to an average of 18,842. The composition of the demographic in these elite institutions comprises students, and staff from a variety of racial, social, and economic backgrounds. Ivy Leagues adhere to strict enrollment policies, acceptance rates, and are extremely selective in the admittance of students.  

With a firm belief in the dictum of ‘unity in diversity’, the Ivy Leagues every year, welcome students and staff belonging to different ethnicities, and cultures. Starting from African-Americans to Asians to Hispanic/Latino groups, Ivy League schools are flush with a brilliant set of students irrespective of their caste, and creed. 

Let us take a closer look at the structural makeup of the demographics of the Ivy League institutions. 

Harvard University 

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University is often deemed as the king of Ivy Leagues by popular culture. With an annual undergraduate population of 6,699, Harvard University is quite ‘picky’ in its selection process. For the academic year of 2023, only 4.5% of the 43,330 applicants were shortlisted for admittance. 

The student population is broadly categorized based on gender as, 49 percent female, and 51 percent male. Additionally, the structural makeup of the demographic includes students from a myriad ethnic, and racial backgrounds, namely, African-American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American. 

Asian American students occupy approximately 22 percent of the student population, followed by African Americans at 14 percent, Latinos, and Hispanics at 12 percent, and Native Americans at 2 percent.

You may also read about - Harvard University

The University of Pennsylvania 

Located in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania hosts a total number of 24,806 undergraduate students and with an acceptance rate of 8.4 percent, it qualifies as a top-notch Ivy League university. The percentage of intake for males in the university is 48 percent while females are at 52 percent. 

As we dive into the racial and ethnic structure of the students at the University of Pennsylvania, we witness 7.4 percent of African American/Black,20 percent of Asian-Americans/Pacific Island, 9.8 percent of Hispanic/Latinos, and white with 41.3 percent. There is an inclusion of students who self identify themselves as well and account for up to 48percent of the student crowd. 

Out of the entire student population, 50 percent of them are male, and the rest 50 percent are women with a total of 11.5 percent of students who identify themselves as international students. 

You may also read about - The University of Pennsylvania 

Dartmouth College

Situated in the heavenly abode of Hanover, New Hampshire in the United States, Dartmouth College is recognized as a private Ivy League research University. It is a small yet significant institution that speaks of an enrollment of about 6,350 undergraduate students with an acceptance rate of 8.7 percent. Dartmouth has a stringent admission procedure with the percentage of male students being 51 percent while females consisting of 49 percent of the student population. 

The most popular majors that students pursue include Economics, Political Science, and Computer Science.

The racial and ethnic composition of the university is formed with 5.55 percent of African/American students, Asian-American standing at 8.6 percent, Caucasian students at 50 percent, a total of 8.6 percent of Latinos, Native Americans at 1.41 percent, and multi-racial students account up to a miniature amount of 4.22 percent. 

You may also read about - Dartmouth College

Yale University 

Yale University is positioned in the beautiful blankets of New Haven, Connecticut. Renowned for its unmatched drama and music programs, it's the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. With a total number of 12,385 undergraduate students and females being at 51 percent and men at 49 percent, the acceptance rate of the University is 6.3 percent. The ethnic and racial construction of the University is diverse. The African-American signify as 5.6 percent of the population with Asian-American at 13.9 percent, followed by Hispanic/Latino at 9.4 percent, Native American at a meager amount of 0.324 percent, and lastly Whites at the highest occupancy of 44.3 percent.

You may also read about - Yale University 

Princeton University 

Towering the stunning coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey, providing great opportunities and prospects for students to unravel their inner talent. Housing a total of 8,623 students and an acceptance rate of 5.5 percent, this university has a manifold of ethnic and racial groups of students pursuing their education from this prestigious Ivy League University, 50.8 percent being female and 49.2 percent male.

The presence of African American students is at a total of 3.58 percent with Asian Americans counting up to 8.35 percent. The residents of Caucasians are at the highest with 50 percent followed by Latinos at 5.85 percent, multi-racial students at 0.109 percent, and Native Americans are at a total rate of 16.1 percent in the University.

You may also read about - Princeton University  

Brown University 

Located in the picturesque city of Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University was founded in the year 1764 as a part of the Colonial rule of the British in the United States of America. With an annual undergraduate population of 6,320, Brown University has an acceptance rate of 8.6 percent. 

The student population is broadly categorized based on gender as, 53 percent female, and 47 percent male. Additionally, the structural configuration of the demographic includes students from various ethnic, and racial backgrounds, namely, Hispanic, White, Indigenous Hawaiians, African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, and other multi-racial groups. 

White students occupy approximately 43 percent of the student population, followed by Asian-Americans at 15 percent, Hispanic and Latino groups at 11 percent,  African-Americans, and multi-racial groups at 6 percent. Additionally, the student population constitutes 11 percent of international students.

You may also read about - Brown University

Cornell University 

Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York. With an annual undergraduate population of 15,182, Cornell University is an elite private university with huge contributions to research, and development. It was founded in 1865, and currently, it is ranking at number 16 in the US News rankings. Cornell University was not a conception of the British Colonial reign in the nation, unlike its fellow Ivy League members. Establishing an acceptance rate of 15.1 percent, Cornell University commemorates numerous accolades in the fields of academics, extracurriculars, discipline, and virtue.

The student demographic is broadly classified based on gender as, 54 percent female, and 46 percent male. Additionally, the structural makeup of the demographic includes students from a myriad ethnic, and racial backgrounds, namely, Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, and other multi-racial groups. The ethnicity for a percentage of the school population has not been reported.

White students occupy approximately 40.8 percent of the student population, followed by Asians at 21.6 percent, Hispanic groups at 15.1 percent, and African-Americans at 7.7 percent. 

You may also read about - Cornell University 

Columbia University 

With its inception in 1754, Columbia University has imprinted its name in the sands of time as a prestigious educational institution not only in the U.S but throughout the globe. Situated in New York, Columbia University is ranking at number 3 according to the US News rankings. With an annual undergraduate population of 8,216, Columbia University has an acceptance rate of 6.1 percent. 

The student population is broadly categorized based on gender as, 50 percent female, and 50 percent male. Furthermore, the structural construction of the demographic includes students from diverse ethnic, and racial backgrounds, namely, African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, White, and other multi-racial groups. 

The White students occupy approximately 43.7 percent of the student population, followed by Asian-Americans at 21 percent, and Hispanic groups at 16.3 percent. As many as 1000 international students enrolled at Columbia University. 

You may also read about - Columbia University 

Conclusion

Ivy League schools have catered to the interests of a large population of students since time immemorial. They were elite even before the birth of the term 'Ivy League'. Cultural diversity is of high priority to these private institutions, for, 'world-class' education can only be achieved with the whole world being part of their system. Ivy Leagues have molded some of the world's greatest leaders. All these individuals have come from myriad socio-economic, racial backgrounds, and attained enlightenment within the four walls of their alma mater. Ivy Leagues have the objective to grow beyond the social, racial, and economic stigmas, to justify the idea of the world transitioning into a 'global village'.

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