Parents' Guide to

Ivory Tower

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Frank look at business of college is a must-see for teens.

Movie PG-13 2014 90 minutes
Ivory Tower Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

IVORY TOWER goes beyond fancy brochures, dorm tours, and lecture hall visits to dig into the business of running a university, explaining the pursuit of impressive facilities to better compete with other institutions and attract the most talented faculty and the brightest students. All of that costs money, of course, and the documentary makes the case over and over that the price of a college education has risen faster than just about anything else in the U.S. economy. But is it worth it?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Ivory Tower doesn't feel like your run-of-the-mill lecture: It's insightful, illuminating, and -- frankly -- distressing. (Just wait till you see the statistics.) Though it's pretty straightforward filmmaking (no surprises here), it will leave audiences wondering about the priorities of school officials, the future of education, and the financial burden placed on the next generation.

It does suffer a bit from lack of coherence, feeling a bit like several mini-documentaries stitched together. There's one segment on a student occupation at Cooper Union in New York, another on the emergence of online learning, another on student loan debt spiraling out of control, and more. They all paint a fairly bleak picture of higher learning, and it's clear the filmmakers have done their homework. But what's the solution? Is there one, even a kernel? (Besides Massive Open Online Courses, aka MOOCs?) Fascinating data will fascinate, but without vision, you may be left feeling a bit down and directionless. Still, this should be required viewing for anyone considering college.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about education. Do you think college is necessary today? Is it worth the cost?

  • What do you think will be the future of education? Will online courses ever replace real classes?

  • Is Ivory Tower objective? Does it have to be? Is it OK for documentaries to take an opinion on the subject they're covering?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: June 13, 2014
  • On DVD or streaming: September 30, 2014
  • Director: Andrew Rossi
  • Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Company
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Run time: 90 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: some suggestive and partying images
  • Last updated: October 8, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate