As so many parents across America and around the world grapple with feelings of righteous indignation at certain Ivy League schools — notably Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Cornell University — for their shameful silence in the face of anti-Semitism on their campuses in the wake of Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack against Israel, many have asked us at Ivy Coach, a proudly Jewish-owned business, why they should send their children to America’s elite universities.

In all of our years helping students earn admission to Ivy League and other highly selective schools in America, it’s a question we’ve never been asked more frequently than in our current moment as Israel seeks to defeat the Hamas terrorist group and Jews worldwide face daily instances of anti-Semitism, including here at home in America.

So, why should parents still send their children to Ivy League schools? Today, we’ll keep it simple by ignoring the subjective benefits of attending such an institution (name recognition, making friends with la crème de la crème of young people, etc.), focusing squarely on compensation. You see, Ivy League graduates earn more than their peers, and with high earnings comes the power to repair the world or as we say in the Jewish faith — to practice acts of tikkun olam. But just how much more do Ivy League grads earn than their peers? Let’s dive in!

Ivy League vs. Non-Ivy League Graduate Salaries

Early Career Median Pay: Ivy League vs. Non-Ivy League

According to PayScale, as of 2022, after three years of work experience, the median pay for non-Ivy League graduates was $58,643. The median pay for Ivy League graduates? $86,025. That’s a 32% advantage for Ivy League grads — 32%!

College Degree	Early Career Median Salary
Non-Ivy League Graduates	$58,643
Ivy League Graduates	$86,025

Mid-Career Median Pay: Ivy League vs. Non-Ivy League

According to PayScale, as of 2022, after 20 years of work experience, the median pay for non-Ivy League graduates was $101,777. The median pay for Ivy League graduates? $161,888. That’s a 37% advantage for Ivy League grads — 37%!

College Degree	Mid-Career Median Salary
Non-Ivy League Graduates	$101,777
Ivy League Graduates	$161,888

Average Ivy League Graduate Salaries by School

Among the Ivy League schools, you might be wondering whose graduates earn the most. According to PayScale, as of 2022, it’s Princeton and then everyone else. Brown, Columbia, and Cornell bring up the rear.

Ivy League School	Early Career Median Salary	Mid-Career Median Salary
Brown University	$82,400	$153,000
Columbia University	$85,900	$150,900
Cornell University	$83,500	$151,900
Dartmouth College	$85,600	$162,900
Harvard University	$88,700	$169,500
Princeton University	$86,400	$165,700
University of Pennsylvania	$89,400	$177,300
Yale University	$86,300	$163,900

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

In fact, it is not unusual for more than one-fourth of those who make the cut for Forbes’ annual list of the richest Americans to hail from one of 12 colleges. In 2021, 71 billionaires who made the list attended one of seven Ivy League schools (Brown was the exception).

And with such riches, Ivy League grads can continue to put pressure on the presidents of these institutions and their trustees to terminate the employment of those professors who seek to indoctrinate rather than teach their students and whose anti-Semitism seems to know no bounds. With money comes influence, and there is no match for the influence of Ivy League grads.

It’s why we at Ivy Coach, as profoundly upset as we are with these institutions for paying no heed to despicable acts of anti-Semitism, will continue to tout the benefits of attending these institutions while we continue to press them to do better. After all, what’s the alternative?