Pitt, CMU, among 20 schools Forbes dubs 'New Ivies'

The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon are among the country’s finest schools of higher education, according to a new list from Forbes that identifies 20 colleges as “New Ivies” — schools that produce quality graduates without the pretension and liberal political baggage that comes with an Ivy League pedigree.

Forbes surveyed 380 high-level corporate executives and 37% said they are less likely to hire an Ivy League graduate than they were five years ago — up from 33% who said the same last year.

Another 12% said they would never hire an Ivy League graduate, the survey found.

“I believe Ivy League candidates are overvalued, and they frequently have a higher than real opinion of themselves,” one respondent wrote.

Pitt was among the 10 public schools that Forbes said are attracting the best and brightest students today.

“We’re proud to be a top-ranked, public institution with a focus on world-class research, academic excellence and equipping every student with real-world skills,” said Pitt spokesman Jared Stonesifer. “This recognition is another proof point that anything is possible at Pitt.”

The others include Virginia, North Carolina, William & Mary, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Purdue, the Georgia Institute of Technology and West Point.

“These colleges are highly selective — applicants have a one in seven chance, or slimmer, to gain admission to one of the private New Ivies, and a 50% chance or less to enroll at one of the 10 mostly large public universities,” Forbes staff writer Emma Whitford wrote.

Joining CMU on the list of private institutions were Emory, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Rice, Tufts, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Washington University.

CMU officials didn’t respond to a request for comment.

One of the respondents to Forbes’ survey elaborated on the intentional shift away from hiring Ivy League graduates.

“Over the past five years, Ivy League schools have become environments where groupthink is encouraged, dissent is discouraged, and graduates emerge lacking the resilience, adaptability and practical skills necessary for success in competitive industries,” the respondent said.