On Sept. 9, the University of Denver was announced as ranking number 88 in the top 100 universities in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report list of the best colleges of 2015. This ranking is an improvement for the university from its place at 91 last year.

According to a press release by DU Media Relations, the University is tied with Colorado School of Mines (CSU), University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), Binghamton University, Stoney Brook, University of Alabama and University of Tulsa.

According to U.S. News and World Report’s website, the factors of how the colleges are ranked include the location, the atmosphere on campus, the amount of academic offerings there are and what financial aid a university can offer.

The website also states that the ranking system is based on a formula that uses qualitative measures that indicate academic quality and their own conducted research on what matters when it comes to education.

Gregg Kvistad, DU provost and executive vice chancellor, was quoted in the press release by DU Media Relations as saying, “The rise in the university’s ranking over last year reflects our determined commitment to providing an intensive educational experience for all of our students—across disciplines, in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the community and abroad.”