There are eight Ivy League schools, which are private research universities located in the Northeastern United States. They are known for their academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism. The eight original schools which make up the Ivy League are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. These schools are highly competitive, admitting fewer than 1 in 10 applicants, and have extremely low acceptance rates. They also have big endowments, boast strong alumni networks, and are some of the most prestigious universities in the world.

It is important to note that there are many other prestigious colleges across the United States which are often mistaken for Ivy League schools due to their high reputation, selective acceptance rates, and sometimes their location near the Ivy League schools in the Northeast. Here are four more prestigious schools that are commonly mistaken for Ivy Leagues: Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Chicago, and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) .

In summary, the 12 schools that are often considered the most sought-after institutions of higher learning in the country and around the world are:

1. Brown University
2. Columbia University
3. Cornell University
4. Dartmouth College
5. Harvard University
6. Princeton University
7. University of Pennsylvania
8. Yale University
9. Stanford University
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
11. University of Chicago
12. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)