What do you think?
Rate this book
I Hate the Ivy League: Riffs and Rants on Elite Education
Malcolm Gladwell has long relished the opportunity to skewer the upper echelons of higher education, from the institution of U.S. News & World Report’s Best College rankings to the LSATs to the luxe Bowdoin College cafeteria. I Hate the Ivy League: Riffs and Rants on Elite Education, upends the traditional thinking around how education should work and tries to get to the bottom of why we often reward the wrong people. The higher education system follows a hierarchy that was created to primarily benefit top-tier, elite, well-off students, but Gladwell wants to find out how we can do a better job at educating the middle and make education more affordable, fair, and open to all.
Why is Gladwell so obsessed with American education? The foreword and afterword of I Hate the Ivy League explains, framing this carefully curated selection of Revisionist History episodes. If you’ve never listened to Revisionist History, this collection is a thoughtful introduction to the long-running podcast, and if you’re already a fan, it allows for careful re-examination of the important issues at hand: how do we really determine what matters most when it comes to educating our children?
Why is Gladwell so obsessed with American education? The foreword and afterword of I Hate the Ivy League explains, framing this carefully curated selection of Revisionist History episodes. If you’ve never listened to Revisionist History, this collection is a thoughtful introduction to the long-running podcast, and if you’re already a fan, it allows for careful re-examination of the important issues at hand: how do we really determine what matters most when it comes to educating our children?
6 pages, Audible Audio
Published July 12, 2022
About the author
Malcolm Gladwell
153 books40.9k followersMalcolm Timothy Gladwell is a Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996. He has published seven books. He is also the host of the podcast Revisionist History and co-founder of the podcast company Pushkin Industries.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Gladwell's writings often deal with the unexpected implications of research in the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, and make frequent and extended use of academic work. Gladwell was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
November 15, 2022
Malcolm Gladwell is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy reading him and enjoy his podcast, Revisionist History. I appreciate the ways that he finds patterns and new ways of seeing things.
The “chapters” in this audiobook, I Hate the Ivy Leagues, include episodes drawn from Revisionist History and, like his previous work, happily turns things on its head. His basic thesis is that the US educational system, as opposed to the Canadian system where he was educated, is one that overinvests in wealthy, privileged students, so that privilege is maintained and expanded. As a result:
– Poor students have significant barriers making it difficult for them to enter the Ivys, that have little to do with intelligence, determination, or grit, and more to do with social barriers.
– It makes more sense to invest in average students than the top ones (think soccer rather than basketball.
– Philanthropists are more likely to give to extremely wealthy schools where they are unlikely to make a significant difference rather than small, poor schools where contributions can make a huge difference (see the last bullet).
– The college rankings of the US World and News Report reward reputation and large endowments. Reputation appears to be a function of endowment size rather than variables with more apparent relationships to the task of educating students. (And US World and News Report should find someone else to serve as their spokesperson.)
– Schools that want to increase their rankings could best do so by refusing admission to poor, Black, and nontraditional students – and by building posh dorms.
– Voting lotteries for high school Student Senates can open leadership opportunities for a broader of students (and perspectives) than more traditional elections.
These and other ideas are central to Gladwell’s book. If you enjoy having your world shaken up, even somewhat, you will enjoy this “book.”
The “chapters” in this audiobook, I Hate the Ivy Leagues, include episodes drawn from Revisionist History and, like his previous work, happily turns things on its head. His basic thesis is that the US educational system, as opposed to the Canadian system where he was educated, is one that overinvests in wealthy, privileged students, so that privilege is maintained and expanded. As a result:
– Poor students have significant barriers making it difficult for them to enter the Ivys, that have little to do with intelligence, determination, or grit, and more to do with social barriers.
– It makes more sense to invest in average students than the top ones (think soccer rather than basketball.
– Philanthropists are more likely to give to extremely wealthy schools where they are unlikely to make a significant difference rather than small, poor schools where contributions can make a huge difference (see the last bullet).
– The college rankings of the US World and News Report reward reputation and large endowments. Reputation appears to be a function of endowment size rather than variables with more apparent relationships to the task of educating students. (And US World and News Report should find someone else to serve as their spokesperson.)
– Schools that want to increase their rankings could best do so by refusing admission to poor, Black, and nontraditional students – and by building posh dorms.
– Voting lotteries for high school Student Senates can open leadership opportunities for a broader of students (and perspectives) than more traditional elections.
These and other ideas are central to Gladwell’s book. If you enjoy having your world shaken up, even somewhat, you will enjoy this “book.”
July 20, 2023
The title says this is a rant, and boy oh boy, it is. But I LOVE Gladwell's rants because they are emotional (clearly he cares about generating change in America's higher education system) and very logical. He had me laughing and shaking my head in frustration. Great combo.
It's incredibly disheartening that the US News and World Reports ranking of colleges/universities is based strictly on the college's endowment, the wealth of their students, the race of their students, the test scores of their students, and the graduation rates. Money and whiteness trumps equity, diversity, and greater access. Very sad.
However, through the different interviews, I got a sense that maybe change will come. I hope so.
It's incredibly disheartening that the US News and World Reports ranking of colleges/universities is based strictly on the college's endowment, the wealth of their students, the race of their students, the test scores of their students, and the graduation rates. Money and whiteness trumps equity, diversity, and greater access. Very sad.
However, through the different interviews, I got a sense that maybe change will come. I hope so.
April 16, 2023
This is thought provoking and a very good way to view problem sets in higher education. I did deduct 1 star because there is clearly a liberal bias in the approach and Gladwell takes full advantage of editing and ambush to pull the consumer to his side. Bowdoin chooses to spend its money on food; Vasser spends it on poorer students. Is Vasser correct? Is Bowdoin wrong? Gladwell shapes it so that you are on board with him but if you stop to think about it you are really looking at value judgments. Should the student body eat terrible food so 8 more students can attend for free? Should they eat dog food if it means 16 can go for free? The more I think about some of these arguments I can’t help but to think of how much the financial aid and tax systems promote ridiculous spending and fail to control costs—all making higher ED less accessible to those that need access.
May 24, 2023
Interesting stuff! But I will forever love the Ivy League (go big red)
July 30, 2022
4.5 stars. As always, I enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s musings about our crazy American education system. His discussions and ideas get me thinking.
March 2, 2024
Listened on audiobook. Really great critique of higher ed and its elitism ranging from endowment, standardized tests, exam styles, rankings, pure brand value. All of it.
September 13, 2026
Gladwell is a gifted writer at presenting a compelling argument and making it understandable, as well as, very entertaining. I don’t agree with everything he says but he makes me think about topics. The book focuses on how elite education promotes exclusivity over access for those who are smart but lack opportunities to go to colleges. I found his section on flawed rankings such as US News and World report fascinating. I always thought this was a go-to, good source but Gladwell shows how it’s based mainly on reputation or a qualitative analysis versus facts or a quantitative analysis. The other point he makes is about standardized testing and how wacko it is being focused on speed or Biased toward the hares in society and not the tortoises - those who think slowly and methodically. It’s a system that rewards speed when society needs both. He focuses on the LSAT and lawyers. The section on misguided donations was shocking in that I didn’t know the Harvard and Stanford’s have 20-30 billion dollars in Foundation money. Wow! The argument doesn’t cover community colleges or public universities and I would like to know more about them. Usually when I read his books I end up researching other things. Like I said… Gladwell makes me think and want to learn more.
October 21, 2024
It’s not just about the Ivy League. It’s about how messed up the prestige of US elite schools is. It’s about advocating for equality in education rather than chasing the elite. I have a high school senior who is working on her college applications while I read this book. It completely validates our approach of finding the best fit rather than pushing her to get into the hardest school she can get into.
July 19, 2023
Information: 5. How it infuriated me and made me want to rant to every human forced to listen to me: 1. Average: 3. The system is seriously messed up, and I’m not sure it can ever be fixed. My basic takeaway is to continue what I’m doing and remind kids to choose the school that is right for them and for their values.
July 18, 2026
I love Malcolm Gladwell. This was great food for thought 💭
July 9, 2026
I have not read or listened to enough Gladwell. He's great! His riffs and rants on elite education was maddening to listen to at times, but boy what an education it was!
December 3, 2025
Before I say anything else, I want to emphasize again that I agree with Gladwell’s premise — elite higher education in the US is skewed towards selecting a particular type of student, and this type of student is not the only type that is likely to succeed. Maybe I’m slightly less convinced by the idea that Americans are “too emotional” about education, but it’s not something I scoff at.
Chapter 4, which covers the decline in black teachers post-Brown v Board, and Chapter 8 (US News) are fantastic.
But I have the following list of gripes.
- Describing empirical studies and hypotheses: He speaks entirely in qualitative terms, which is all good and well, but does not give enough of the actual data for the audience to develop their own opinion. He speaks of very subjective outcome variables as if they are the only possible variables (eg, number citations as evidence of a good paper, some undisclosed regressions as evidence of a good lawyer).
- Bad faith interviews: The ones that grind my gears the most are the interview with John Hennessy and the interview with LSAC. He enters these interviews with a premise, asks his interviewees questions, then voice overs as if it is a forgone conclusion that the audience should also find his interviewee ridiculous. He doesn’t even entertain the fact that an audience member might be intrigued or — heavens forbid — convinced by his interviewees. Also, the one really weak interviewee (head of US News) was so flustered it was basically a beat down— and I could tell Gladwell enjoyed that. :)
- Propping up anecdotal idols: On the flip side, Gladwell makes the assumption that his anecdotal prop interviews are convincing, and doesn’t push those interviewees to prove their hypotheses to the same extent.
- Lackluster solutions: In response to the problem of LSATs limiting the type of students that go to top law schools, Gladwell proposes non-disclosure in the recruitment process. “Don’t ask don’t tell where you went to school” could be its own book because it generates so many follow up questions. It also makes the assumption that the major advantage of a top law school is disclosure in the actual application process (rather than OCR, networking opportunities, exposure to elite circles and jobs). If that is true, the onus is on Gladwell to prove it.
- Shallow exploration of good topics: As someone who has amateurishly written in favor of random lotteries (Google: “Adia Keene Reason for Randomness” if you want a good laugh), he fails to even scratch the surface on the rich scholarship with justifications and real world examples for this approach, opting instead to talk about why charismatic students should not be assumed to be good leaders. I’m assuming the same is true for topics that I have not researched before.
I know what you’re thinking — “Adia, if you wanted all of this you should’ve picked up a real book.” I did, years ago — it’s called “The Inequality Machine” by Paul Tough. It’s fantastic and you should all read it.
Chapter 4, which covers the decline in black teachers post-Brown v Board, and Chapter 8 (US News) are fantastic.
But I have the following list of gripes.
- Describing empirical studies and hypotheses: He speaks entirely in qualitative terms, which is all good and well, but does not give enough of the actual data for the audience to develop their own opinion. He speaks of very subjective outcome variables as if they are the only possible variables (eg, number citations as evidence of a good paper, some undisclosed regressions as evidence of a good lawyer).
- Bad faith interviews: The ones that grind my gears the most are the interview with John Hennessy and the interview with LSAC. He enters these interviews with a premise, asks his interviewees questions, then voice overs as if it is a forgone conclusion that the audience should also find his interviewee ridiculous. He doesn’t even entertain the fact that an audience member might be intrigued or — heavens forbid — convinced by his interviewees. Also, the one really weak interviewee (head of US News) was so flustered it was basically a beat down— and I could tell Gladwell enjoyed that. :)
- Propping up anecdotal idols: On the flip side, Gladwell makes the assumption that his anecdotal prop interviews are convincing, and doesn’t push those interviewees to prove their hypotheses to the same extent.
- Lackluster solutions: In response to the problem of LSATs limiting the type of students that go to top law schools, Gladwell proposes non-disclosure in the recruitment process. “Don’t ask don’t tell where you went to school” could be its own book because it generates so many follow up questions. It also makes the assumption that the major advantage of a top law school is disclosure in the actual application process (rather than OCR, networking opportunities, exposure to elite circles and jobs). If that is true, the onus is on Gladwell to prove it.
- Shallow exploration of good topics: As someone who has amateurishly written in favor of random lotteries (Google: “Adia Keene Reason for Randomness” if you want a good laugh), he fails to even scratch the surface on the rich scholarship with justifications and real world examples for this approach, opting instead to talk about why charismatic students should not be assumed to be good leaders. I’m assuming the same is true for topics that I have not researched before.
I know what you’re thinking — “Adia, if you wanted all of this you should’ve picked up a real book.” I did, years ago — it’s called “The Inequality Machine” by Paul Tough. It’s fantastic and you should all read it.
January 14, 2026
Gladwell has decided that the American higher education system is flawed. Right answer, wrong formula. The things that he chooses to fixate on are not only not the real problems, but his proposed solutions make his position as an onlooker who hasn’t really had his boots on the ground quite clear. That’s not to say that you must have come up in the American education system to understand it, but that is where the personal incredulity fallacy comes in over and over again. Because things in the Canadian system are SO different, Gladwell repeatedly presents American education concepts as unbelievable simply because he himself cannot believe them. I think his dive into this issue could have made a much more credible splash if his tactics held up against standards of research or journalistic integrity.
Throughout my experience listening, I felt that Gladwell’s “research” suffered from large amounts of confirmation bias. He seemed to set out into each chapter with the answers to his questions already decided. At no point did any of his opinions pivot in even minutely. He used his interviews and data as round pegs to prove the square holes in all of his theories.
His interviews with those of the opposite stance led me to question whether any subject who agrees to them has any familiarity with his work. If they did, they’d be wise to choose their words carefully, as Gladwell’s desired outcome of these conversations seems to be a “gotcha” soundbite that he can force to fit into his thesis. The interview with the Stanford president was a particularly heinous example of this. Where Gladwell had a chance to let the president explain his stance and maybe shift his own view or fairly critique him, instead he cherry picks quotes that serve the thesis of the chapter, which honestly reek of Gladwell purposely misunderstanding his subject.
His tendency towards the false dilemma spans multiple installments of this collection, attributing certain outcomes to causes that aren’t at all mutually exclusive. For example, in Chapter 2: Food Fight, Gladwell draws the reader in with the claim that he is about to present a case for how top ranked dining halls are actually indicative of a moral failing. My curiosity was piqued. Where could he be going with this? Food insecurity? Labor? The price of a dining plan? It wasn’t anything I could have predicted, and that’s because he jumps over countless variables to conclude that a school that pours money and energy into its cafeterias must be drawing directly from its financial aid budget. He doesn’t even consider that there are SO MANY other budget items that are not dining quality or financial aid.
There are countless more examples of this that I won’t get into, and the one takeaway from spending my time with this book is getting to work out my critical muscles and remember that name recognition does not equal credibility in the literary world. If I ever get bored enough, I might put together an index of logical fallacies using exclusively examples from this book.
Throughout my experience listening, I felt that Gladwell’s “research” suffered from large amounts of confirmation bias. He seemed to set out into each chapter with the answers to his questions already decided. At no point did any of his opinions pivot in even minutely. He used his interviews and data as round pegs to prove the square holes in all of his theories.
His interviews with those of the opposite stance led me to question whether any subject who agrees to them has any familiarity with his work. If they did, they’d be wise to choose their words carefully, as Gladwell’s desired outcome of these conversations seems to be a “gotcha” soundbite that he can force to fit into his thesis. The interview with the Stanford president was a particularly heinous example of this. Where Gladwell had a chance to let the president explain his stance and maybe shift his own view or fairly critique him, instead he cherry picks quotes that serve the thesis of the chapter, which honestly reek of Gladwell purposely misunderstanding his subject.
His tendency towards the false dilemma spans multiple installments of this collection, attributing certain outcomes to causes that aren’t at all mutually exclusive. For example, in Chapter 2: Food Fight, Gladwell draws the reader in with the claim that he is about to present a case for how top ranked dining halls are actually indicative of a moral failing. My curiosity was piqued. Where could he be going with this? Food insecurity? Labor? The price of a dining plan? It wasn’t anything I could have predicted, and that’s because he jumps over countless variables to conclude that a school that pours money and energy into its cafeterias must be drawing directly from its financial aid budget. He doesn’t even consider that there are SO MANY other budget items that are not dining quality or financial aid.
There are countless more examples of this that I won’t get into, and the one takeaway from spending my time with this book is getting to work out my critical muscles and remember that name recognition does not equal credibility in the literary world. If I ever get bored enough, I might put together an index of logical fallacies using exclusively examples from this book.
September 19, 2023
I have specific socio-political beliefs, but I truly don't consider myself an active proponent of socio-political issues, especially those that veer toward the left. I tend to identify closer with conservatism than I do to liberal views. I believe those who have; should be allowed not penalized or told what they must do with their wealth. I believe institutions that are established to meet the needs of the upper echelon should be allowed to do so without interference. I believe that business owners who have specific socio-political views should reap the fruits of their views or perish by them. (Think the challenges presented by MyPillow owner on one end and Budweiser's marketing on the other end).
With that being said why would someone who considers himself a conservative be interested in hearing about the sociopolitical evils associated with prestigious schools and general school policy? He makes you think. Without knowing Malcolm Gladwell's political views directly, he provides compelling and empirical evidence to support arguments that are 180 degrees for my opinion. His arguments are well researched and well stated but more importantly, they are fascinating.
I never believed that I would about the various practices of schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, but Gladwell not only does an excellent job laying out his argument about why these policies and procedures are harmful to society as a whole, but he makes me care. Whether it is a fine dining campus, great attorneys coming from institutes other than the big 14, or historically black university competition, Gladwell's stories create interest and make me care! The book isn't making me change my views in one swoop, but it is giving me something to think about and it challenges my own beliefs. I truly think it's healthy to listen to counterpoints to your beliefs to help you grow.
Short I loved this book and would recommend it highly!
With that being said why would someone who considers himself a conservative be interested in hearing about the sociopolitical evils associated with prestigious schools and general school policy? He makes you think. Without knowing Malcolm Gladwell's political views directly, he provides compelling and empirical evidence to support arguments that are 180 degrees for my opinion. His arguments are well researched and well stated but more importantly, they are fascinating.
I never believed that I would about the various practices of schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, but Gladwell not only does an excellent job laying out his argument about why these policies and procedures are harmful to society as a whole, but he makes me care. Whether it is a fine dining campus, great attorneys coming from institutes other than the big 14, or historically black university competition, Gladwell's stories create interest and make me care! The book isn't making me change my views in one swoop, but it is giving me something to think about and it challenges my own beliefs. I truly think it's healthy to listen to counterpoints to your beliefs to help you grow.
Short I loved this book and would recommend it highly!
March 31, 2025
Malcolm Gladwell has long relished the opportunity to skewer the upper echelons of higher education, from the institution of U.S. News & World Report’s Best College rankings to the LSATs to the luxe Bowdoin College cafeteria. I Hate the Ivy League: Riffs and Rants on Elite Education, upends the traditional thinking around how education should work and tries to get to the bottom of why we often reward the wrong people. The higher education system follows a hierarchy that was created to primarily benefit top-tier, elite, well-off students, but Gladwell wants to find out how we can do a better job at educating the middle and make education more affordable, fair, and open to all.
Why is Gladwell so obsessed with American education? The foreword and afterword of I Hate the Ivy League explains, framing this carefully curated selection of Revisionist History episodes. If you’ve never listened to Revisionist History, this collection is a thoughtful introduction to the long-running podcast, and if you’re already a fan, it allows for careful re-examination of the important issues at hand: how do we really determine what matters most when it comes to educating our children? GR description
I listened to this from the recommendation of my daughter. I found it very interesting and informative.
Why is Gladwell so obsessed with American education? The foreword and afterword of I Hate the Ivy League explains, framing this carefully curated selection of Revisionist History episodes. If you’ve never listened to Revisionist History, this collection is a thoughtful introduction to the long-running podcast, and if you’re already a fan, it allows for careful re-examination of the important issues at hand: how do we really determine what matters most when it comes to educating our children? GR description
I listened to this from the recommendation of my daughter. I found it very interesting and informative.
July 24, 2022
BAHHHH, I got snookered...or it was my fault for not reading.
This isn't new, it is a rehashing of a few episodes of the Revisionist History podcast.
BAHHHH. I'm a dummy! I have already heard everything in this book.
This isn't new, it is a rehashing of a few episodes of the Revisionist History podcast.
BAHHHH. I'm a dummy! I have already heard everything in this book.
October 15, 2023
I usually hate Malcolm Gladwell, but I loved this book.
November 6, 2026
He covered several things I hadn’t considered but find quite agreeable - Ex: why do mega donors sponsor $100M+ gifts to universities with endowments in the $10s of billions (drop in the bucket) that only teaches a small number of students rather than make an immense difference to a school not as well off to improve the education of a vast number of students? Why does the LSAT and other standardized tests arbitrarily reward students who can test quickly (tortoise vs hare)? Why do Americans place such an emphasis on school rankings when that has been shown to matter little post college? Why do school rankings not actually consider/measure the quality of education?
This is my first time reading Gladwell and I quite liked it, he reads like Freakonomics and was just as interesting.
This is my first time reading Gladwell and I quite liked it, he reads like Freakonomics and was just as interesting.
April 13, 2023
disappointing,,, but not surprising
July 26, 2024
**4.5/5⭐️
Very thought-provoking and insightful critique of American higher education its obsession with meritocracy. I particularly enjoyed Gladwell’s witty remarks :D
Very thought-provoking and insightful critique of American higher education its obsession with meritocracy. I particularly enjoyed Gladwell’s witty remarks :D
Read
June 12, 2026Malcolm is a sassy guy
September 23, 2025
As a firm believer in public education, I was curious to hear his perspective on the growing inequality in colleges. The book can be summed up in Gladwell’s final lines: “Education needs to be affordable, fair, and open to all…(we need to realize) how ludicrous & feverish our attachment to education has become.”
August 10, 2024
This is actually a compilation of podcasts from Malcom Gladwell all about education.
I was turned off by the title, I didn’t think this book was for me but oh boy it was fascinating.
If you have ever been concerned/ a part of/ or thought about the higher education system in the US, this is a must listen.
I was turned off by the title, I didn’t think this book was for me but oh boy it was fascinating.
If you have ever been concerned/ a part of/ or thought about the higher education system in the US, this is a must listen.
September 19, 2026
I firmly believe everyone perusing a PhD in the United States should listen to/ read these stories. So much of my grad school journey thus far (2 yrs into a PhD I don’t even know if I want anymore) has been a formation of disillusionment with the system of US higher academia and good golly this added fuel to the fire.
July 11, 2026
I LOVE Malcolm Gladwell in all his passionate rants and ideas. The man is essentially a masterclass on how to ask the right questions.
October 19, 2026
ممتع جدا
ومثل هذه التحقيقات الصحفية مع الأسئلة الصحيحة
تجعلك في حيرة من الحرية التي تفرزها الراسمالية (:
أتلعن النظام التعليمي الذي هو نتاج هذه الرأسمالية
ام تنبهر من سهولة وانسيابية التحقيق الصحفي الذي هو ثمرة هذه الحضارة ايضا؟
لست ادري
ومثل هذه التحقيقات الصحفية مع الأسئلة الصحيحة
تجعلك في حيرة من الحرية التي تفرزها الراسمالية (:
أتلعن النظام التعليمي الذي هو نتاج هذه الرأسمالية
ام تنبهر من سهولة وانسيابية التحقيق الصحفي الذي هو ثمرة هذه الحضارة ايضا؟
لست ادري
October 1, 2026
Four podcast episodes in a trench coat
May 18, 2026
bro gets a PhD from an Ivy League -> bro immediately gets this book recommended to him by his Spotify algorithm?!?
(a few interesting stories about how the education system is broken. worth listening to, even if Gladwell's personal interests/opinions get too much screentime in a few of the chapters)
(a few interesting stories about how the education system is broken. worth listening to, even if Gladwell's personal interests/opinions get too much screentime in a few of the chapters)
September 9, 2026
US news rankings is a SCAM
December 9, 2025
4/5
Listened to it as an audiobook. Read by the author + his audiobooks are always the best. Seemed like it was a collection of reporting/ podcasts he’d previously done.
Listened to it as an audiobook. Read by the author + his audiobooks are always the best. Seemed like it was a collection of reporting/ podcasts he’d previously done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews