Is London Business School an Ivy League?

By Robert Palmer

If you’re considering pursuing higher education in business, you must have come across the term “Ivy League.” The Ivy League refers to a group of eight prestigious colleges and universities in the United States known for their academic excellence and athletic programs. However, not everyone knows what schools qualify as Ivy League outside of the US.

One such school that often comes up in this debate is the London Business School (LBS). So, is LBS an Ivy League? Let’s find out.

What is Ivy League?

Before we dive into whether LBS is an Ivy League or not, let’s first understand what the term means. The term “Ivy League” was coined back in 1935 by a sports writer who used it to describe a group of eight colleges and universities in the northeastern part of the United States. These schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.

Since then, these schools have been associated with academic excellence and prestige. They are known to offer some of the best undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields such as business, law, medicine, engineering, and more.

Is London Business School an Ivy League?

Now coming back to our original question – Is London Business School an Ivy League? The short answer is no; LBS is not considered an Ivy League school.

Why? Because it’s not located in the United States.

As mentioned earlier, the term “Ivy League” specifically refers to a group of colleges and universities located in northeastern America. Therefore any school outside this region cannot be considered an Ivy League school.

However, just because LBS isn’t an Ivy League school doesn’t mean it’s any less prestigious or excellent. LBS is one of Europe’s top business schools with a reputation for academic excellence and research. It’s consistently ranked among the top business schools globally and has produced several successful alumni.

LBS vs. Ivy League Schools

While LBS might not be an Ivy League school, it’s often compared to these schools due to its caliber and reputation. So let’s compare LBS to Ivy League schools based on a few parameters.

Location: As mentioned earlier, Ivy League schools are all located in the northeastern part of the United States, while LBS is located in London, UK.

Programs Offered: Ivy League schools offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields such as business, law, medicine, engineering, etc. Similarly, LBS offers a range of programs such as MBA, Masters in Management, Executive Education, PhD as well as Executive MBA.

Rankings: All Ivy League schools are ranked highly in various global university rankings such as QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education Rankings, etc. Similarly, LBS is also consistently ranked among the top business schools globally.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that while London Business School is not an Ivy League school because it’s not located in the United States. It’s still considered one of Europe’s top business schools with a reputation for academic excellence and research. So if you’re considering pursuing higher education in business and looking for excellent options globally outside of the US Ivy Leagues then LBS can be a great option.