Everyone knows the big names. Stanford. Harvard. Emory. The University of Michigan. These schools have phenomenal programs. People chase the best education they can get.
Ivy League schools and other top-tier universities get all the attention. Tens of thousands of undergraduates attend. Hundreds of thousands apply.
But many other schools offer an education just as good — or better — than the famous ones. Think of the big names as the “Brad Pitts” of academia. Let me introduce you to some “Jesse Plemons” schools. No rankings here — just gems worth knowing.
1. Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, Ohio
Case Western Reserve University, or CWRU, has Ivy-level standards and a 27% acceptance rate. Founded in 1826, Cleveland counted as “the west” back then, which explains the nickname “Yale of the West.”
About 11,000 students study here, and over half are grad students. CWRU is a global leader in research. Seventeen Nobel laureates have taught or studied here, including Albert Michelson, Claude Beck, and Edward Morley. The school ranks 19th among private U.S. universities for research funding.
Freshmen live in themed residential halls like Cedar (arts), Juniper (multiculturalism), Magnolia (sustainability), and Mistletoe (service and leadership). Upperclassmen often move to apartment-style housing in The Village at 115.
The Spartans compete in NCAA Division III. They’ve won conference championships in football, women’s soccer, and men’s soccer in the last five years. Nearly half of undergrads join one of CWRU’s 25 fraternities and sororities.
Notable alumni: Hollywood directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Gmail inventor Paul Buchheit, and civil rights lawyer Fred Gray.
2. Middlebury College — Middlebury, Vermont
Middlebury College is a liberal arts school with a 20% acceptance rate. Founded in 1800, it was one of the first all-male schools to go coed.
Middlebury runs Energy2028, aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2028. Students can choose from 45 majors, many interdisciplinary. Graduates receive a symbolic cane modeled after one carried by the school’s founder.
Sports thrive here. Middlebury has won 84 conference championships since 2000. Field hockey dominates with five national titles in six years.
Some students enroll in February and spend the fall on internships or travel. These “Febs” graduate in ski gear at the Middlebury Snow Bowl.
Notable alumni: Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay, actor Jason Mantzoukas, and Manhattan Project scientist Myrtle Bachelder.
3. College of the Holy Cross — Worcester, Massachusetts
Holy Cross sits atop Mt. St. James in Worcester. Founded in 1843, it offers only Bachelor of Arts degrees in 28 majors. Its 38% acceptance rate hides strong grad school placement: 72% for med school and 92% for law school.
Freshmen take part in the Montserrat Program, which groups students by interest for shared classes and dorm life. Nearly 90% of students live on campus.
Holy Cross has one of the top study abroad programs in the country. About 23% of juniors spend a year abroad in programs across 26 countries.
Athletics are Division I. Football has won three straight Patriot League titles. The school is one of only eight to win national championships in both basketball and baseball.
Notable alumni: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Murray.
4. Vassar College — Poughkeepsie, New York
Founded in 1861 as a women’s college, Vassar went coed in 1969. The school enrolls about 2,000 undergraduates and has a 20% acceptance rate. Students choose from 51 majors, many interdisciplinary.
Vassar’s Self-Instructional Language Program lets students teach themselves uncommon languages. Study abroad is popular, with programs worldwide.
Traditions are quirky. “Serenading” started as a singing competition but morphed into a massive water balloon fight between freshmen and seniors.
The student paper, The Miscellany News, has run since 1866. Alumni have gone on to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Pulitzer Prizes.
Notable alumni: Jackie Kennedy, Meryl Streep, and computer pioneer Grace Hopper.
5. Davidson College — Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson College enrolls under 2,000 students, 95% of whom live on campus. It’s known for its strict Honor Code and small, discussion-based classes.
The college has produced 23 Rhodes Scholars. Professors are highly accessible, and class sizes are often 15 or fewer students.
Davidson competes in the Atlantic-10 Conference. Men’s basketball, boosted by Stephen Curry’s fame, is the flagship sport. Unique traditions include Flickerball (a mix of football, dodgeball, and ultimate frisbee) and the Cake Race, where winners earn fancy cakes.
Notable alumni: Burger King CEO John Chidsey, Vicks VapoRub inventor Lunsford Richardson, and Nutrition Facts label designer Burkey Belser.
Bonus Picks — Outside the U.S.
- University of St. Andrews — Scotland
- National University of Singapore — Singapore
- McGill University — Canada
- University of Melbourne — Australia
- University of Burgundy — France
- University of León — Spain
- Ghent University — Belgium
You came here for five underrated schools. You’re leaving with twelve. That’s the Zinkerz way — always giving you more than you expect.
