AN INDEPENDENT COLLEGE GUIDE
The Little Ivies: 18 colleges & map
The Little Ivies are an informal grouping of academically competitive colleges in the Northeast. Explore the 18 schools on this map, find their cities and states, and compare them with the Ivy League. There is no official Little Ivies membership; this guide uses a commonly cited list.
Explore the Little Ivies map ↗Jump to the 18-college list · Browse by state · Little Ivies vs. Ivy League
Which colleges are the Little Ivies?
Our list includes Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Bucknell, Colby, Colgate, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Haverford, Lafayette, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Trinity, Tufts, Union, Vassar, Wesleyan and Williams. The map labels each college by name, and the directory below identifies the Little Ivy group.
| College | City | State | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst College | Amherst | Massachusetts | Campus information ↗ |
| Bates College | Lewiston | Maine | Campus information ↗ |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick | Maine | Campus information ↗ |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | Pennsylvania | Campus information ↗ |
| Colby College | Waterville | Maine | Campus information ↗ |
| Colgate University | Hamilton | New York | Campus information ↗ |
| Connecticut College | New London | Connecticut | Campus information ↗ |
| Hamilton College | Clinton | New York | Campus information ↗ |
| Haverford College | Haverford | Pennsylvania | Campus information ↗ |
| Lafayette College | Easton | Pennsylvania | Campus information ↗ |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury | Vermont | Campus information ↗ |
| Swarthmore College | Swarthmore | Pennsylvania | Campus information ↗ |
| Trinity College (CT) | Hartford | Connecticut | Campus information ↗ |
| Tufts University | Medford / Somerville | Massachusetts | Campus information ↗ |
| Union College (NY) | Schenectady | New York | Campus information ↗ |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | New York | Campus information ↗ |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown | Connecticut | Campus information ↗ |
| Williams College | Williamstown | Massachusetts | Campus information ↗ |
Where are the Little Ivies?
The 18 colleges on this map are in six northeastern states. Select a college to find its city and official campus link in the directory.
- Connecticut: Connecticut College, Trinity, Wesleyan.
- Maine: Bates, Bowdoin, Colby.
- Massachusetts: Amherst, Tufts, Williams.
- New York: Colgate, Hamilton, Union, Vassar.
- Pennsylvania: Bucknell, Haverford, Lafayette, Swarthmore.
- Vermont: Middlebury.
Little Ivies vs. Ivy League: what is the difference?
The Ivy League is a formal eight-member athletic conference. Little Ivy is an informal description, and different publications may use different lists. It should not be read as an official status, accreditation or ranking. The commonly cited 18-school list defines this map’s scope.
Why is Union College red?
Union College in Schenectady, New York, normally uses a three-course trimester load. The college’s advising and registration FAQs describe three full-credit courses per trimester and explain fourth-course options. Union is red for this pattern. The other 17 Little Ivy schools use semester-based calendars and have black markers. Some also include a winter or short term, such as Bates’ spring Short Term and the January or winter terms at Colby, Middlebury and Williams. Calendar type does not imply a fixed course count for their students.
Locations that are easy to confuse
Hamilton College is near Clinton, New York; Colgate University is in Hamilton, New York. Trinity College here is the Hartford, Connecticut institution. Union is the college in Schenectady, New York. Tufts’ marker represents its Medford/Somerville undergraduate campus in Massachusetts.
Compare Union with Dartmouth
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire is the other red marker. It is an Ivy League institution and uses quarters rather than Union’s trimesters. The red markers highlight normal course loads; individual academic schedules can differ.
Updated 8 October 2026 · Campus markers are approximate, not visitor entrances.