UC Berkeley has been ranked the No. 1 public university in the U.S. by the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities, or ARWU, released by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy on Tuesday.

Although UC Berkeley was the top U.S. public university on the list, it was named the fifth best university among both public and private institutions. Last year, however, UC Berkeley was ranked third overall by ARWU.

The list ranks more than 1,200 universities before publishing the top 500. According to its website, ARWU uses several objective indicators to rank the universities, such as the number of alumni and staff who have won Nobel Prizes or Fields Medals and per capita performance.

Campus spokesperson Michael Dirda said in an email that ARWU is considered one of the most significant rankings of the world’s research universities and that UC Berkeley’s inclusion on this list shows the quality of both the campus’s faculty and its research. According to Dirda, innovation in the public interest is one of the key pieces of UC Berkeley’s mission.

“Our research prowess also enhances the student experience as undergraduates gain access to some of the world’s most accomplished researchers and get involved in their work,” Dirda said in his email.

Campus freshman Paul Shao said he was “really excited” that UC Berkeley was ranked one of the top universities in the world again. He added that he thinks what sets UC Berkeley apart from other universities is the diversity and tolerance on campus.

“I love that everyone here is eager to be active members of the community,” said campus freshman Natasha Pillai. “I think that really makes a difference in how people approach even the smallest issues — we’re always looking for solutions.”

Contact Kate Tinney at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @K_Tinney.

Correction(s):

A previous version of this article said that UC Berkeley is the number 1 public university in the world. In fact, it is the number 1 public U.S. university.