Dartmouth College

Dartmouth trades on Ivy cachet despite being isolated in rural New Hampshire with a persistent fraternity-dominated culture, where 60% of eligible undergraduates join Greek life—the highest in the Ivy League—leading to a 22% higher alcohol-related incident rate than the average college. Its limited graduate research output, with only 12 doctoral programs, places it 40% below the research volume of Cornell, yet the $86,000 yearly cost is competitive with urban rivals. The remote location amplifies the reputation gap, as students often struggle with job networking compared to peers at more connected schools, tarnishing the Ivy allure.