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Academic institutions often face the charge of Academic elitism, sometimes called the Ivory Tower.

What is this?

Academic elitism suggests that in highly competitive academic environments only those individuals who have engaged in scholarship are deemed to have anything worthwhile to say, or do. A lesser and broader form of this, Intellectual elitism, exists in non-academic circles, however academic elitism might also be viewed as a further extreme of intellectual elitism, depending upon one's perspective.

The tendency towards academic elitism is most pronounced in highly competitive and highly regarded institutions.

This form of elitism is noticeable in the streaming education systems that exist in most developed countries. More attention and resources are afforded to students who are deemed most intelligent at an early age. This inequality tends to further separate the elite from the remainder of society. Streaming systems include branded institutions, gifted classes, and other elite student groups. Countries with extensive private school systems also exemplify this trend.

Some arguments against the acceptance of Academic Elitism are: That it is an inherently exclusionary process; That it serves to hamper the advancement of human knowledge by ignoring potentially valid ideas; That it encourages waste through the development of a winner-takes-all mentality; That academic institutions are unreasonably shielded from economic competition by government funding programs; That selection processes are unfairly biased towards certain groups; And that it alienates those who are not of the elite and discourages them from participating in decision-making.

Some arguments against the refusal of Academic Elitism are: That Elitism is an illusion which masks an inherent human tendency to group by abilities and interests; That human societies are best advanced by those who are most willing and able to participate in academic study; And that human societies require a vetting process that leads people to roles that will yield the most efficient management of societal resources.

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Examples of this

Authors including—but not limited to—Aldous Huxley, George Orwell (Social Democrat), and Ayn Rand (Ardent Capitalist/Objectivist) have explored both sides of Social Elitism through Academica/Intelligentsia. One is often Intelligent before Academic, but sometimes the order is reversed. They present theoretical examples of the Dystopian societies which might result from either extreme support or extreme undermining of elitism.

For example, George Orwell has written several books on the subject, such as 1984 and Animal Farm, where there are characters who take the role of a 'Vanguard', acting FOR—or on the behalf OF—their society, who turn to them for everything, or rely on them. It usually ends up with them making some mistakes or abusing their trust, while going straight at a task they cannot comprehend, because they are stubbornly believing in themselves.

• Academia