Binghamton University was ranked 35th on the New York Times’ College Access Index, a measure of how universities around the country support economic diversity within their institutions.

Last year, The Upshot — which is the Times’ data analytics newsletter — only included institutions that could boast a graduation rate of 75 percent or higher in four years on the list. According to the article published with the report, this limited that list to about 100 schools. Only two public universities made the list in 2014: College of William and Mary and University of Virginia, ranked 71 and 48, respectively.

For the 2015 list, The Upshot opened up its rankings to schools that reported a graduation rate of at least 75 percent over five years, with a focus on the graduation rates of students who receive the Pell Grant. Pell Grants are generally awarded to students who fall in the lower 40 percent of national income distribution. The second annual list now has 179 schools ranked, with better representation of public universities.

A college’s score in the index is based on the number of students that come from low-income families, based on the percentage of freshmen receiving a Pell Grant, and the net price of attendance for low and middle-income families. Each institution’s endowment available per student is also listed, which, according to The Upshot, is a reflection on the amount of resources available at each school.

BU has a four-year graduation rate of 68 percent and a five-year graduation rate of 77.7 percent, according to the University website. This year, the cost of attendance is $22,801 for in-state students and $35,921 for out-of-state students. The maximum Pell Grant award possible for the 2015-16 academic year is $5,775.

Dennis Chavez, the director of financial aid and student records at BU, said that the University tries to accommodate students as much as possible both based on merit and financial need.

“We recognize that there is limited funding,” Chavez said. “Therefore, we continue to be very aggressive in awarding aid on the basis of both academic merit and students who are meritorious but financially needy. As far as the report, I like to believe the information is being used to help parents and families gauge one school versus another.”

According to Chavez, it is becoming more common that students have a 150 percent time frame when completing their degrees, meaning that a traditionally four-year experience is now taking up to six years. He said he believed that the increase in time students take to graduate is a reflection of the wide range of resources at the University.

“The reality is that we have a large percentage of students who take five or six years,” Chavez said. “But in my mind, it is for good reasons. We have students that are taking a minor, a second major or studying abroad. They want to take advantage of the full academic experience that Binghamton offers.”

Chavez also said that overall, he was proud the University made the list this year.

“It is consistent with the culture that we’ve always had as a premier institution and as a public institution,” he said. “We have the luxury of being able to attract quality students.”