Adding to Idoit's nice, succinct summary, I'll throw in that there are merits to each argument.Idoit40fans wrote:Yeah, people state it every few posts. Some are arguing that Penn State is on the same level of Ivy League schools such as Penn and Princeton and others are arguing that its more on the level of other state schools such as USC, Maryland, Pitt, ND...
Personally*, however, I find the argument to be increasingly specious (<-- obligatory appearance of academic word) as degrees become more specialized. Employers often cultivate lists of go-to schools with signature or "flagship" programs. Public perception has held that Ivies always always attract the best faculty in every discipline; it's just not true today.
Also, FWIW, depending on who's writing whatever guidebook (for parents, mostly <-- obligatory cynical potshot at the higher ed industry), PSU is included in an expanded list of Public Ivies.
* PSU and Ivy League grad, works in higher ed, has many high-profile industry contacts--none of which means I'm special.