Why East and West ends have highest numbers of top colleges? What’s the reason colleges in the middle doesn’t have similar demand or prestige?
Relevant titles may get more attention.
But in this case, I don’t know what East and West ends are. Most Pittsburgh colleges are in the east end of town, and there are none in the west end. But I’ve never thought this was a generalized trend.
You mean the coasts? The east coast schools have the benefit of time and history, and often the prestige of having those. The west coast has its own special allure that the middle of the country generally cannot touch.
What do you mean? ARe you talking about the country’s coasts? Some of the very best colleges are in the midwest? Just off the top of my head I think of the University of Chicago, the original Big Ten schools like University of Michigan, Northwestern and privates like Carleton and others…and that is just in 1 second of thinking. OP are you from the US? Even if you generalize about the coasts there is “alot” of coastline both on the east and west that do not have colleges as well known as many of those in the middle of the country. The other anomaly is that in California alone which is a huge, huge state with a gigantic population there are only a few universities that are on par with Michigan, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin and little if any private colleges well known… so your question is abit of a head scratcher.
And this comment is a total head scratcher. Few?
Let’s see, eight (8) of the UC’s are in the USNWR Top 100 and rising. And then there’s SLO and SDSU. For privates, there’s Cal Tech, Stanford, USC, Pomona, CMC, Harvey Mudd and Santa Clara. I may be missing a few too.
And my CA kid goes to Michigan. 
In terms of the Ivies, it’s because old money has been sending their kids there for generations and building up massive endowments.
All right - I was thinking more like top 20-50 but let’s not split hairs 
I think what’s posited is a gross over generalization. There are ton of very excellent schools all over the country, yes even in ‘flyover’ states.
But running with such an over simplification of the generalities of US schools… prestige is a byproduct of perception. Ivies and their ilk are perceived as more prestigious, therefore they are.
Yes on the Ivy League. When I went to college back in the dark days you picked a college based on what your parents could afford. Scholarship students were pretty few and far between and some of those were 3rd generation family kids. The fact that the Ivy League in particular has generous financial aid for the lower and middle class is highly appealing so more people apply. Those colleges could be geographically anywhere in the country including the middle of Nebraska and I think they would be just as popular. I honestly can’t think of another consortium of colleges that are as generous with making a college affordable based solely on income level.
The other thing that has not been brought up is that the vast majority of kids that attend college do not travel cross country and tend to stay fairly close to home geographically and there are simply more people per acre in coastal college clusters.
Well, even in the Top 20 you have University of Chicago, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Vanderbilt…
I think between the east cost being established first and the sheer population difference between these areas and the midwest would account for most of it.
Consider population densities.
Let me explain. All Ivy League schools, MIT, Amherst, Williams, Boston College, NYU, Tufts, etc etc, all in same neck of the woods.
I look around my neck of the woods, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Kansas, Arizona, Mississippi, etc etc and see no such schools.
We just lack good education or our good colleges are at a disadvantage for some reason?
Well, Texas has Rice and Baylor. I don’t know about the other states; I don’t live near them.
ETA: Louisiana has Tulane.
The Northeast has been populated longer than the middle of the country. Many of the schools you named are almost 200 years old or older.
The states you named have lower population density than the “Ivy League area”.
Rice and UT Austin are in Texas.
Excuse me??? Rice and the University of Texas at Austin are very good schools with some very well regarded programs. For that matter, all the big state schools in Texas have various programs that rank high, even if the school as a whole may not make the top 20. There are other smaller private schools in Texas that are excellent as well, though of course they aren’t Harvard and Yale.
Anyone can get a stellar education in this country if they want one without having to leave their state. It just takes the ambition, the desire to seek out and make the most of opportunities close at hand, and the funds. And success in life absolutely does NOT hinge on attending an elite school.
I find vague thread titles frustating!
There are good schools in every area of the country.
There are ten (10) CA universities in the USNWR Top 50. And that doesn’t include the LAC’s such as Pomona, CMC, Scripps, Pitzer and Harvey Mudd. More than a “few.”
Folks always wanting to take whack at us Californians and West Coasters.
@sushiritto – I agree that California has a wealth of educational opportunities no other state – and few nations – can match.
I’ve always been jealous of those out east who have so many options in such a small geographical area. In the midwest, it’s mostly Big Ten, a few midsized elites like Northwestern, U Chicago, Wash U, only a few top LACs. After that, we’re talking regional schools. Meanwhile, someone in Boston can drive to dozens and dozens of amazing schools - urban, suburban, rural, large, medium, small - many highly ranked. And a state like Virginia has so many strong in-state options we don’t have here in Illinois.
Public in state options are limited in Illinois but you can leave Chicago in the morning and drive to all of the following by lunchtime or before: Northwestern, U of C, Wash U, UMich, Notre Dame. That’s 5 of the top 25. And UIUC and Wisconsin, great schools are close. Pretty impressive.