The Big Four is a dated term that was used to refer to the four institutions of higher education that were considered to be the top tier in the United States in the pre-Civil War era. Its members being: Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Union College.
These were considered the bastions of America's upper crust and the preferred destination for the bright young men graduating from prep schools of the Northeastern region and beyond. Whilst Harvard, Yale and Princeton continued to build upon their reputation and have firmly established themselves as global powerhouses, Union College has remained a small and, relatively, unknown school, albeit still a preferred destination for many scions of Brahmin and Knickerbocker families of the North East.
The term is very much out of favour today, largely limited to marketing literature from Union College, with Harvard, Yale and Princeton more commonly referred to as The Big Three or HYP/HPY and being members of the Ivy League.
MEMBERS
Harvard University
Princeton University
Union College
Yale University
SEE ALSO:
Big Three / HPY / HYP / Ivy League