(This is purely a methodological comment; I haven't looked at any data either way. I agree, at least, that going to a state school should not mean that your life is over.)
The bigger point I'd also make, going along with my reply to somebody else about how "the world is a lot bigger than the S&P 500" is that there no reason at all to think that not attending an Ivy League school means you won't be able to have a great career, even being a CEO or whatever. You might just be CEO of a sock manufacturing firm that nobody other than the employees and owners has ever heard of. But that's still a pretty damn good career compared to a lot of the alternatives. :-)
I'm just pointing out that things aren't quite so skewed. You can go to school at a reasonably reputable State school and still have a pretty good career... Ivy League not required.
Both of which actually did go to Ivy League schools, so they are actually counterexamples to what you are trying to say. They may not have graduated, but to focus on that is to miss the point.
The point is that these Ivy League schools come with networks, which are more important than the education itself. When you are part of such a network, you are more likely to be considered for high-ranking positions. Going with the article's example, being in the network is the difference between being a Lisper vs. a Pythonista.
I don't disagree with that, but I think the value of that may be overstated. That's all I'm saying. Again, I would not try to tell somebody to not attend an Ivy League school... what I'm saying is that there is plenty of evidence that one can attend a non-Ivy League school, even the oft-derided "State university" and still have a good chance at an amazing career. Not just a good career mind you, but amazing, as I would consider making it to the level of "S&P 500 CEO" to be pretty dang amazing.
So, if you're just starting out, just out of high-school, and you know that you absolutely want to be CEO of a S&P 500, or Fortune 500 company one day, then by all means, do everything in your power to get into Harvard or Stanford or Yale or Princeton or Brown or Columbia or something. It can't hurt. BUT... if you're willing to accept, say, only being CEO of a multi-million dollar company that nobody has ever heard of, you certainly aren't out of the running if you go to a State university. And, as seen above, you aren't even out of the running for the S&P 500 gig either. Maybe you'd have to work a little harder, or have a little more luck to get there, but it obviously can be done.
Anyway, that I could have chosen a better example doesn't negate the point, that you can certainly be very successful without having attended an Ivy League school.
But we don’t ask why they know their stuff. How did they get into a good university?
Depending on exactly how you define "good university", I contend that the importance of this may be overstated. For the sake of argument, let's go with the idea that to many people "a good university" means "Ivy League". IF you take that premise, it makes sense to look at where a number of high-level leaders, like, say, the CEOs of the S&P 500 companies, went to college. Luckily, that's been analyzed:
http://content.spencerstuart.com/sswebsite/pdf/lib/2005_CEO_...
Now, as you might expect, a number of Ivy League schools are very well represented. But, equally important is this:
The University of Wisconsin is tied with Harvard for the largest percentage of S&P 500 CEOs, at 3%. This is above Princeton, Stanford and Yale. And the University of Texas is right in there at 2% as well. Now this is not to say that UW or UT are "bad" schools, but are they what most people are talking about when they talk about the whole elite / non-elite dichotomy?
Another tidbit: If you look at only the CEOs of the top 100 out of the S&P 500, four schools are tied for "most well represented". Those four are Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and, wait for it... The University of North Carolina, all with 3% each.
For what it's worth, it appears that it can at least be said that going to a reasonably well regarded State school is borderline just as helpful as going to an Ivy League school, if you plan to be the CEO of an S&P 500 firm.
Of course, this all totally overlooking the fact that "CEOs of S&P 500 firms" is a ridiculously small and overly restrictive set to represent "being successful and a respected business leader" in any sense. If you're the guy who owns 6 McDonalds locations in your local small town area, or runs the most successful car dealership in a given area, you're pretty damn successful and - at least in a local sense - well regarded. And I expect you'll find plenty of those folks who went to schools most of us have never heard of, or didn't go to school at all.
Anyway, just something to throw out there. I certainly wouldn't mean to discourage anyone from going to Stanford, Yale, Harvard or Princeton if they want to and have the opportunity. But the poor sap left to attend UNC, UT, UVA, UW, UM, etc., certainly should not feel like they've been consigned to the dustbin just because they did not go to an Ivy.