For the second year in a row, Pitt ranked 62 on U.S. News Report’s National University Standings. The University rose one spot from 21 the previous year to 20 among state-related universities out of the 201 ranked.

Pitt’s spot at 20 for best public universities was a part of a five-way tie with University of Maryland-College Park, University of Georgia, Purdue University-West Lafayette and Clemson University.

The rankings, released Tuesday morning, placed Princeton, Harvard and Yale Universities in the top three spots respectively for top national universities.

U.S. News calculates the report each year based on 16 factors related to “academic excellence.” These factors include student retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources and evaluation by “administrators at peer institutions” among others.  

Class size is another indicator of quality education, according to the report. Classes with fewer than 20 students are preferable, and 41.1 percent of Pitt’s classes have fewer than 20 students. Only 19 percent of Pitt’s classes have more than 50 students.

The report cited Pitt’s average freshman retention rate at 92 percent and Princeton’s at 98 percent.

Pitt also ranked 52 in the 100 best business schools, 22 out of 181 for education schools, 18 out of 84 for primary care medical schools and seven out of 442 for nursing schools.

“Pitt is recognized in a variety of forms for its education,” said Ken Service, University Vice Chancellor of Communications.