Those unfamiliar with the Ivy League may conclude that its member colleges are only the most illustrious and prominent in the world of academia. However, contrary to popular belief, the Ivy League is dedicated to something other than academic pursuits.

That's right; it's a competitive sports league! Eight private institutions in the northeastern United States compete in a sports league called "The Ivy League." All kinds of intercollegiate sporting competitions pit these schools against one another.

Stanley Woodward, writing for the New York Tribune in 1933, is credited with popularizing the word "Ivy" to describe the elite universities. Students regularly plant ivy around the school as a custom in the 1800s. The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, celebrated spring with a day dedicated to planting ivy at all of the campus' buildings; the event was dubbed "Ivy Day." Similar customs were maintained at these universities.

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Where Are The Ivy League Schools Located? 

The schools in New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) have a stellar reputation and are among the finest in the country. Here, you can find some of the world's best and most selective educational institutions. Indeed, New England has a reputation for a vibrant student culture. Located in New England, the eight Ivy League universities are widely recognized as the pinnacle of academic excellence in America's northern half.

Brown University

Brown University has the air of a college town, thanks to its location on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, and the bustling dining and retail district of Thayer Street that runs right through the heart of the campus. During their first six semesters at Brown, you can expect the students to reside on campus; however, permission may be granted to some students to move outside the campus. Room types range from the more common single to double, triple, and even suite configurations. 

More than 500 student clubs provide students a chance to become involved on campus and follow their passions; a campus map would help students navigate the many options available to them. 

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth, is nestled between the White Mountains and the Connecticut River, just over the Vermont border. With a population of a little over 11,000, Hanover is a relatively small town. The Appalachian Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to campus and provide students with a wealth of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Architecturally, the campus is reminiscent of a Georgian American colonial style. The Green, a vast grassy space surrounded by school buildings, serves as the campus's symbolic heart. The more than two million books you can find on the shelves of Dartmouth's nine libraries speak volumes about the university's scholarly reputation.

Dartmouth College is widely recognized as a top research institution due to its record of groundbreaking scientific discoveries in its cutting-edge laboratories. The Dartmouth College map features several points of interest, such as the campus, the surrounding area, local attractions, and transportation options.

Princeton University

Princeton University, which is frequently listed among the top ten institutions in the world, is noted for its park-like campus and some of its iconic structures. 

The 500-acre Princeton campus is home to some 180 structures, including ten libraries with a total of almost 14 million volumes. Approximately two billion dollars in income is generated annually from the approximately 800,000 visitors to the open campus.

About 30,000 people call Princeton home, and it's become a tourist mecca because of its picturesque tree-lined streets and plenty of exciting eateries, green spaces, and businesses.

Access to Philadelphia and New York City is convenient from the campus since the Dinky shuttle train runs often and takes approximately an hour to reach either city. There are numerous cultural and sporting events in New York and Philadelphia, and Princeton frequently subsidizes many students' excursions there.

Columbia University

Columbia University's main campus in Morningside Heights, a neighborhood in Manhattan between the Upper West Side and Harlem, spans over six city blocks and encompasses more than 32 acres. Over 7,000 apartments in Morningside Heights are owned by the university and are used to accommodate graduate students, employees, and professors. There are also many renovated or new dorms for undergraduates in the area.

Its second site and home to its healthcare schools, the Columbia University Medical Center is a twenty-acre site situated fifty blocks north of the main campus in the Washington Heights area. On the northern point of Manhattan Island, in the neighborhood of Inwood, Columbia University also owns the 26-acre Baker Field, which has the Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in addition to facilities for rowing, tennis, outdoor track, and field sports. 

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York, is another site on the west side of the Hudson River, in addition to the Nevis Laboratories in Irvington. Reid Hall in Paris is likewise a facility run by the university. 

Harvard University

Having been founded in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest university in America. Harvard has a total of 5,083 acres of land. The main campus is spread out among several Cambridge, MA locales; the most well-known of which is Harvard Yard.

On the other side of the Charles River in Allston, MA, you'll find Harvard University's athletic facilities and the Harvard Business School. Boston is home to Harvard Medical School and the School of Dental Medicine. 

The vast majority of Harvard University's undergrads spend all four years of their education staying on campus, either in the Harvard Yard in the heart of campus as first-years or in one of 12 undergraduate residences. There is a limited amount of graduate student housing at the institution. With over 70 different libraries and a combined 19 million volumes, the Harvard Library easily takes the world's biggest academic library title.

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut's Yale University is home to world-class music and theater departments. The Yale Bulldogs is a well-known Ivy League team, and their rivalry with Harvard is legendary. At Yale, students can choose from 14 different residential colleges.

The deans and heads of the many colleges on campus also reside there and dine in the common areas with the students. To the tune of 80% or more, undergraduates make university housing their home, and grad students have options, too. Campus cultural centers foster students' development of a strong feeling of cultural belonging.

Cornell University

Cornell University's scenic main campus overlooks Ithaca and Cayuga Lake from its perch on East Hill in New York's charming college town. On its 2,300 acres, you'll find classrooms, libraries, museums, auditoriums, and just much everything else the campus offers in terms of academic and sports amenities. The Ithaca campus is in the center of the scenic Finger Lakes area.

Cornell students are just as likely to be spotted reading quietly beneath a tree as they are to be participating in one of the numerous student-run organizations on campus. You can find more than a thousand clubs and groups around campus. Outdoorsy types may sign up for rope climbing and caving classes, while gym rats can choose from four recreation facilities.

If you're a foodie, you'll be happy to know that Cornell has more than 30 different dining options available to you on campus, placing it among the top 10 institutions for cuisine.

University of Pennsylvania

The main campus of the University of Pennsylvania is in University City, a neighborhood of West Philadelphia situated across the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia's historic downtown. The university has 12 schools, several of which provide world-class undergraduate and graduate degrees. College of Arts & Sciences, Wharton School, School of Engineering & Applied Science, and School of Nursing are the undergraduate schools at Penn.

University of Pennsylvania students choose between 12 undergraduate College Houses and Sansom Place. Approximately 5,500 students call the campus their home. It's simple to discover the perfect fit among the College Houses' services, communal features, and many room styles. Limited-term accommodation that is both affordable and close to school is in short supply, but off-campus services may give information on local hotels, B&Bs, hostels, and student apartments.

Making Your Own College Tour Map

Visiting main campuses and other university locations can give you a feel for what it's like to be a student there and will help you decide which schools to apply to. Creating an interactive map that includes visits to all of your top college choices is easy with Proxi.