A college or university's reputation is based on a number of things, just one is the quality of education that is provided. The Ivy league is the Ivy League because of being in a shared athletic conference and because those schools are some of the oldest in the nation.

The biggest drivers of reputation of have little to nothing to do with the quality of instruction. Below are probably the largest drivers of reputation in ranked order:

1. Athletics

2. Research

3. Notable alumni

4. Notable campus beauty / landscaping / facilities

5. Appearances in popular culture (movies, tv, etc.)

6. Outstanding instruction in a particular discipline for decades