Public Ivy is a term started by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivys : A Guide to America 's best public undergraduate colleges and universities . The book is about universities which `` provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price . '' Public Ivy is a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivies : A Guide to America 's best public undergraduate colleges and universities to refer to universities which `` provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price . ''