There is also utility in having the faculty in every single department of a school be above average in quality. It makes exploration and collaboration much more

There is also utility in having the faculty in every single department of a school be above average in quality. It makes exploration and collaboration much more rewarding. There are non-Ivies like that, too, but by and large, the Ivies are all pretty good at every subject. (I don't want to take away from the networking/peer-capability point, which really matters, but rather add another reason to consider the fancy schools.)