The Public Ivies

"Public Ivy" is the label Richard Moll gave in 1985 to public universities offering an Ivy-quality education at a public price; Howard and Matthew Greene expanded the list in 2001. This page ranks the 32 schools from those two lists that are in the CollegeCalcAI database by acceptance rate, from UCLA (9%) to University of Arizona (86%). The median Public Ivy admits 42%, and in-state applicants usually face a friendlier bar than the headline number, which the calculator models both ways.

Schools

Median acceptance

42%

Most selective

UCLA

9% acceptance

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Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.

Which of the The Public Ivies can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?

By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 20 of the 31 colleges here, including UC Santa Barbara, University of Georgia and Binghamton University. 5 more are Target (25 to 44%), such as University of Florida and University of Texas at Austin. The other 6 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College	3.3 GPA1150 SAT	3.7 GPA1300 SAT	4.0 GPA1500 SAT
UCLAadmits 9%	8%Reach	11%Reach	18%Reach
University of California, Berkeleyadmits 11%	9%Reach	13%Reach	21%Reach
Georgia Techadmits 14%	10%Reach	15%Reach	28%Target
University of North Carolinaadmits 15%	11%Reach	18%Reach	32%Target
University of Michiganadmits 16%	11%Reach	17%Reach	33%Target
University of Virginiaadmits 17%	12%Reach	19%Reach	34%Target
University of Floridaadmits 24%	15%Reach	31%Target	57%Likely
University of Texas at Austinadmits 27%	17%Reach	33%Target	62%Likely
UC San Diegoadmits 27%	17%Reach	32%Target	59%Likely
UC Irvineadmits 29%	18%Reach	40%Target	69%Likely
UC Santa Barbaraadmits 33%	21%Reach	45%Likely	76%Safety
William & Maryadmits 34%	22%Reach	43%Target	75%Safety
University of Georgiaadmits 38%	24%Reach	55%Likely	85%Safety
Binghamton Universityadmits 39%	26%Target	57%Likely	86%Safety
University of Washingtonadmits 39%	26%Target	54%Likely	85%Safety
UC Davisadmits 42%	30%Target	68%Likely	90%Safety
University of Illinoisadmits 42%	28%Target	57%Likely	87%Safety
University of Marylandadmits 45%	32%Target	64%Likely	91%Safety
University of Wisconsinadmits 45%	32%Target	67%Likely	92%Safety
University of Connecticutadmits 52%	45%Likely	85%Safety	97%Safety
Penn State Universityadmits 55%	51%Likely	89%Safety	98%Safety
Rutgers Universityadmits 58%	51%Likely	90%Safety	98%Safety
Ohio State Universityadmits 61%	57%Likely	92%Safety	98%Safety
University of Vermontadmits 65%	75%Safety	97%Safety	98%Safety
University of Delawareadmits 71%	85%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Show all 31 colleges

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT (continued)
Indiana Universityadmits 78%	94%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
University of Coloradoadmits 78%	93%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
University of Minnesotaadmits 80%	91%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
University of Iowaadmits 84%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Michigan State Universityadmits 85%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
University of Arizonaadmits 86%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.

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CollegeCalcAI. "The Public Ivies." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/public-ivies

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42%median acceptance rate, the public ivies (32 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/public-ivies?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff">42%median acceptance rate, the public ivies (32 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI</a>

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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.