U.S. News and World Report released its 2020 list of Best Colleges Sunday, listing Pitt as the 18th best public school in the country. This ranking boosts Pitt up eight spots from last year, when it ranked 26th on the public school list.

In a statement from the University, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said the top-20 ranking was a “powerful testament” to the Pitt community.

“[The ranking is] a clear signal that our trajectory as a world leader in learning, teaching and research is still — undeniably — on the rise,” Gallagher said.

The 18th spot on the public schools list puts Pitt in a tie with three other schools who ranked the same — Purdue University, Florida State University and rival Penn State.

On the national rankings list, which combines both public and private schools, Pitt rose to 57th spot — last year, the University was in 70th place. In this position, Pitt is tied with Purdue, FSU, PSU and University of Miami.

According to the U.S. News and World Report website, rankings are assessed by six criteria — outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.

“Some factors that supported Pitt’s rise in the rankings included student graduation and retention rates and class sizes,” the University said in a statement.
This year, Pitt was also ranked 30th in Best Colleges for Veterans and 63rd in Most Innovative Schools.