Cost is perhaps the most notable difference between the Ivies and other colleges, though the tuition at some private colleges approach the same stratospheric levels. An Ivy League education can cost two or more times as much as a state school, especially if you're paying in-state tuition. However, if you can demonstrate true financial need, an Ivy League school may be able to offer you more help, due to large endowments. Overall, the Ivy education might cost less than the one at public university.
Despite the availability of financial aid at Ivy League colleges, the students attending still primarily come from the upper classes. On one hand, this can give you greater connections for future job success, but as Ivy-educated William Deresiewicz bemoans in an article in The American Scholar, rubbing noses with the elite can make it difficult to relate to other types of people in society. Since you're more likely to meet people who didn't receive an Ivy League education throughout your life, it's important to feel comfortable in all types of situations, not thinking that you're better than others due simply to your education.
There's no doubt that a degree from an Ivy League college offers a certain amount of prestige. This can make the difference between your resume getting tossed into the trash or being put on top of the pile. Large, well-known corporations frequently recruit new graduates from the Ivy Leagues, so you may find companies coming to you. However, according to Investopedia, this is not a major factor in some fields, such as teaching, where hiring and salary are more focused on years of experience rather than where you went to college.
Going to an Ivy League college may offer you additional networking benefits, especially since most schools have alumni clubs throughout the area. The school connection may be enough to get your foot in the door when it comes to getting a job. On the other hand, if you plan to stay in the area of the public university you're looking at, you're likely to find many local graduates of that school as well, so you might find similar networking benefits. In either case, the college name on your degree is no guarantee of work after college.