University of Texas at Austin, Rice University declared Ivy league schools

The University of Texas (UT) at Austin and Rice University in Houston have been declared Ivy League institutions, as per Forbes. This recognition places these Texas universities among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, praised for "attracting the smartest students and plaudits from employers."

This recognition is particularly significant for Indian international students, who are present in large numbers at both universities. The news comes shortly after India surpassed China as the top source of international graduate students, as reported by the Open Doors Report.

FORBES' EVALUATION CRITERIA

Forbes' evaluation process was meticulous. Researchers excluded the traditional Ivy League institutions (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Cornell) and other elite universities like Stanford, MIT, Duke, and the University of Chicago.

They focused on schools with at least 4,000 students to ensure fair comparisons between smaller liberal arts colleges and larger research universities.

The evaluation criteria included high standardised test scores and a minimum of 50% of applicants submitting these scores. Private institutions needed an acceptance rate of 20% or below, while public schools required 50% or below.

After narrowing down to 42 schools, Forbes consulted hiring managers to identify which institutions' students were highly sought after by employers.

HOW UT AUSTIN AND RICE UNIVERSITY FARED

UT Austin has an undergraduate population of nearly 40,000 with a 31% acceptance rate. Admitted students have an average SAT score of 1370 and an ACT score of 30. About 85% of applicants submitted these scores.

Meanwhile, Rice University, with an undergraduate enrollment of just over 4,200, has a highly selective 8.7% acceptance rate. Admitted students have an average SAT score of 1540 and an ACT score of 35, with 76% submitting these scores.

Rice University has long been regarded as an Ivy League equivalent in the South. According to US News & World Report, admitted students at Rice typically score between 1490 and 1570 on the SAT or between 34 and 36 on the ACT.

UT Austin is ranked 32 on the US News & World Report's list of Best National Universities, boasting a large and diverse student body.

UT Austin has recently been in the spotlight due to on-campus protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict and a statewide ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, resulting in significant changes on campus.

FORBES' NEW IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS

Here is the full list of Forbes' new Ivy League schools:

Public schools

• Binghamton University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland-College Park
• University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• University of Texas-Austin
• University of Virginia
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

Private schools

• Boston College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Emory University
• Georgetown University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Northwestern University
• Rice University
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Southern California
• Vanderbilt University

The inclusion of UT Austin and Rice University in the Ivy League list highlights their growing prestige and excellence in higher education.

(With PTI inputs)