On April 8, Forbes Magazine released its annual “New Ivies” list, announcing 10 public and 10 private U.S. universities that can be considered elite alternatives to the Ivy League. This year, for the first time ever, Case Western Reserve University made the list.

Second-year student Ethan Park commented on CWRU’s new status.

“I think it’s well-deserved,” Park said. “CWRU has always given its students the resources and education that will help them rise to greater heights.”

Launched in 2024, Forbes showcases 20 institutions that are attracting top students and gaining recognition from employers in various career landscapes, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence and technology.

To be considered as a “New Ivy,” Forbes evaluated schools based on factors such as enrollment size, admissions selectivity and standardized test scores, and then surveyed employers to determine which colleges produce the most workforce-ready graduates.

According to Forbes, for 2026, “the honorees were chosen with input from a survey of more than 100 C-Suite and hiring executives, who this year were asked not only to rate schools, but also how AI was changing their hiring of new grads.” The growing influence of AI makes it a prevalent factor in hiring decisions and workforce expectations.

All of the chosen universities reported that AI fluency has become a critical factor in their curriculum, and for CWRU, specifically, it has increased the number of offered AI courses to over 100 across 40 departments. Moreover, CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management provides courses where students are paired with local businesses to create feasible AI solutions for them—an approach aimed at preparing students for the workforce.

CWRU is the only new private institution added to this year’s list and the only one from Ohio. The other private schools on the list include Carnegie Mellon University, Emory University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Rice University, Tufts University, Vanderbilt University and Washington University in St. Louis.

In a statement with The Daily, President Eric Kaler praised CWRU’s addition to the list.

“We certainly appreciate this recognition by Forbes and the national attention it brings to one of our many strengths—hands-on and experiential learning that prepares students for their future careers,” Kaler said. “Technology is always evolving, and we will continue to find ways to utilize it in ways that enrich and augment student experiences, but our fundamental approach to career development remains the same.

First-year student Minju Kim also shared her thoughts on the ranking.

“I think the phrase Ivy League is misused a lot since Ivy simply refers to an athletic league in the Northeast,” Kim said. “However, I’m aware of the connotation that the term ‘Ivy’ has come to take on. So, as a CWRU student, I’m excited that CWRU has been included on a list with many other accomplished schools and look forward to further recognition of students’ and staffs’ hard work in the future.”