Cornell University advanced one spot to No. 14 in the 2018 edition of US News and World Report’s Best National Universities among 311 schools ranked. Brown, Rice and Vanderbilt join Cornell – which had been No. 15 for three years – at No. 14. The annual assessment is based on academic reputation, faculty resources, graduation and retention rates, selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management’s undergraduate business program is in a four-way tie at No. 7, and the College of Engineering is ranked No. 10 for undergraduate engineering programs in Ph.D.-granting institutions.

Among the engineering specialties, Cornell placed in the top 10 in seven of 12 categories. The university ranked No. 4 in biological/agricultural; No. 8 in materials; No. 9 in computer, electrical/electronic/communications, and mechanical; and No. 10 in civil and in industrial/manufacturing. The university ranked No. 11 in environmental/environmental health.

For business specialties, Cornell ranked No. 10 in real estate programs for the second consecutive year; it ranked No. 11 for quantitative analysis.

Cornell rose three spots to No. 3 in Best Colleges for Veterans, which ranks schools certified for the federal GI Bill who participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, enroll at least 20 veterans and active service members, and are in the top half of the national university ranking.

The university’s already strong reputation among leaders at peer institutions and high school guidance counselors rose. Cornell’s peer assessment, a survey of presidents, provosts and admissions heads, improved its score from 4.5 to 4.6 out of 5, while high school counselors scored Cornell a 4.9 out of 5. The university sits in a six-way tie with Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins and Brown for fifth place among high school counselor’s picks.

The university’s graduation and retention score moved up one notch to No. 14, as did the student selectivity score to No. 19. The financial resources ranking remains at No. 17, where it has been for three years.

Cornell ranks No. 8 on the list of Economic Diversity Schools, based on the university’s percentage (16 percent) of students receiving Pell grants. It remains unchanged from last year.

US News includes eight lists in a section called “A Focus on Student Success,” which looks at programming factors thought to help undergraduate students thrive. Cornell was recognized for internships/co-ops, service learning and writing in the disciplines.