Research shows that an Ivy League education can be a gateway to financial success. But what makes these institutions so valuable might extend beyond the curriculum they provide.
A 2025 study published by Opportunity Insights shows that students are substantially more likely to earn an income in the top 1% and three times as likely to be working at a prestigious firm if they attend an “Ivy-Plus” school — a cohort of schools including the eight Ivy Leagues, Stanford University, Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago. The benefits of attending an “Ivy-Plus” school hold true for students across socioeconomic backgrounds, according to the study.
“Attending an ‘Ivy-Plus’ school, even relative to attending a top state flagship school… (makes) students substantially more likely to be a top income earner,” said John Friedman, co-director of Opportunity Insights, dean of the Watson School of International and Public Affairs and a professor of economics and international and public affairs..
In 2021, 18% of billionaires on the Forbes 400 list of richest Americans attended Ivy League schools.
Friedman speculated that the unique advantages of an “Ivy-Plus” education are tied primarily to the capabilities of the student body.
He described the social capital that students gain from studying at a school like Brown — the interaction between a pool of students who “have done a lot more before they come to Brown and are on a trajectory to do a broader set of outstanding things once they leave Brown.”
“I think that the courses we teach here at Brown are great, but I’m not sure they’re that much greater than the courses that are taught at the University of Michigan,” Friedman said.
But according to a 2002 paper published by economists Stacy Dale and Alan Krueger, an institution’s average SAT score has an effect on earnings that is “indistinguishable from zero.”
While highly selective universities like the Ivy Leagues are globally renowned, the value-adds of a Brown degree and education may vary across industries.
Jessica Skelton ’99, a partner at Pacifica Law Group, emphasized the significance of attending a name-brand school for individuals interested in pursuing a career in law.
“While it’s not my favorite thing about the legal field, school reputation remains extremely important, especially in obtaining your first job out of law school,” she said. “Law school reputation is most important, but if you did not attend a top law school, a degree from a highly respected undergraduate institution can be very helpful.”
When deciding which college to commit to, Selam Asfaw ’26 said it was Brown’s name recognition that made her “willing to uproot my life and move away from my family.”
But other students chose Brown for its network and extracurricular offerings — the social capital alluded to by Friedman.
Although Alice Xu ’27 is now pursuing an eight-year baccalaureate-MD degree through Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education, she initially faced uncertainty over whether to commit to Brown or to her local state university.
“Everyone that I knew in medicine was encouraging me to go for the state school full-ride option because medical school is so expensive,” Xu said. “The advice was to do your cheapest undergrad option that would get you to the position where you could apply to a really good medical school.”
But Xu chose Brown to pursue opportunities for personal advising, alumni relationships and research positions, which were likely to be more scarce and competitive at her state school. She reflected on how the Brown network “really is like family.”
Christie Cadette ’27 highlighted the importance of the strong peer support system she found through Mosaic+, a transitional mentorship program for minority students in computer science at Brown.
“The people that I met there helped affirm and showcase that I could be successful in computer science as a minority,” Cadette said.
Cadette, who interned at Microsoft over the summer, said she received guidance on the internship application process after meeting a panelist at an event on campus for women in computer science.
“It’s the students that comprise the university that makes it valuable,” said resumed undergraduate education student Irene Choi ’27. “Rubbing shoulders with people who are heading in the same direction as you and also that are equally as ambitious … benefits us a lot.”
