Binghamton University rose six spots in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 Best Public Colleges rankings.

In 2018, the University was ranked No. 87 on the “Best National Universities” list and No. 38 on the “Best Public Universities” list. This year, it rose to No. 80 in the nation and No. 32 among public institutions, tying with Colorado School of Mines, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Stony Brook University, Texas Christian University and Yeshiva University.

The U.S. News and World Report rankings are widely used among prospective students who are choosing where to apply. In addition to national universities and public schools, the site also ranks regional universities and liberal arts colleges.

According to the U.S. News and World Report website, the rankings aim to provide an objective comparison of schools based on factors such as selectivity, graduation and retention rates and financial resources available to students. The grading system assesses 16 different characteristics related to academic excellence.

Each year, however, the grading system is tweaked to place emphasis on different factors. In previous years, the U.S. News and World Report prioritized input factors such as student characteristics and the number of academic resources a university offers. The site’s methodology has since changed to focus on output factors, including employment rates after graduation and student retention rates. Recently, the grading system also dropped acceptance rates as a factor, a move that has helped public universities like BU.

The University has consistently maintained a high retention rate, retaining 92 percent of students last year and far exceeding the national average retention rate of 72 percent. Increased emphasis on that factor in the 2019 rankings contributed to BU’s boost on the lists.

“Binghamton is making moves,” University President Harvey Stenger tweeted. “Being in the top 50 and #32 public is something we should be proud of and this year, U.S. News updated its methodology to place more emphasis on student outcomes, which helped.”

Katie Bulger, a senior majoring in geography, said she is impressed by the University’s higher ranking.

“I’m proud to attend a school that keeps moving up in rankings,” Bulger said. “I’m so happy to be a Bearcat.”