Pitt climbed U.S. News ‘ World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings for the… Pitt climbed U.S. News ‘ World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings for the fifth-straight year, moving into a tie for 19th place among public universities with the University of Georgia.

Last year the University was ranked 26th best public university. In 1999, Pitt was ranked 48th among public schools.

The 2006 results, which were published on Aug. 19, marked the first time Pitt has ever cracked the top 20.

“It isn’t easy at all to rise in the rankings, particularly to rise six places in one year,” said Robert Pack, vice provost for academic planning and resources management. “Pitt is an increasingly attractive campus and the students are becoming more and more competitive.”

U.S. News ‘ World Report uses a range of criteria to rank universities that includes factors like student SAT scores and the class ranks of incoming freshmen.

Pitt’s relatively swift rise may be attributed to increased freshmen retention rates and graduation rates. In the last 10 years, the number of incoming freshmen who ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes doubled to 46 percent

However, some Pitt students believe that less-tangible factors contributed to the school’s success in the magazine’s ranking system.

“I’ve had a lot of awesome professors that are really invested in what they do,” senior Keith Stockdale said. “They make the school better, and that strangely makes me proud to go here.”

Pitt placed 58th in the overall category – which includes all national colleges and universities – up from 98th in the 1999 rankings, but is still a far cry from neighboring Carnegie Mellon, which is ranked 22nd best overall university.

In its ascent the University moved ahead of big-name universities like Michigan State, Purdue and Ohio State.

“I like telling people I go to Pitt because it really is an accomplishment to attend a prestigious school,” junior Jon Siko said. “The teachers are great, they really make an effort to understand the students.”

Many students didn’t know about the rankings or Pitt’s placing, but they weren’t shocked about the news.

“I love Pitt and I’m not surprised that it is ranked so high,” junior Maeve Casey said. “Our school is getting a lot harder to get into, and it is much more diverse than other state schools.”

Pitt still trails Penn State, which moved up to 50th in the overall rankings this year.

Pitt-Johnstown placed third in the North in the “Top Public Comprehensive Colleges” category.

Harvard and Princeton tied for the best university in the nation for the third-straight year.

Vice Provost Pack said he was optimistic that Pitt would continue its rise in the rankings.

“There are 18 excellent schools ahead of us right now, and its all about who improves at a faster rate,” he said. “Pitt is increasingly getting more students of a higher quality, and I think that will make a lot more people look into us.”