The University improved its ranking on Forbes America’s annual Top Colleges Rankings, raking first among public universities in Louisiana.
The University ranked 59th among public universities, up from 62nd in 2017. It ranked 192 overall, an improvement from 218 last year.
LSU President F. King Alexander praised Forbes’ ranking in a press release, saying it is a trustworthy source for parents and prospective students.
“Parents and students have had to rely on flawed ranking systems for colleges for years now, and we welcome rankings such as Forbes for looking at what truly matters when measuring the quality of a university: outcomes,” Alexander said in the release. ”Over the years, LSU has proven to be one of the top universities in the country in terms of providing an exceptional education to its students, who benefit from a greater return on investment with higher starting salaries and mid-career earnings, while graduating with little to no debt.”
The University ranked fourth among Southeastern Conference schools, and second among all universities in Louisiana behind Tulane University. 
Forbes creates the ranking based on factors such as alumni salary, debt, student experience and graduation rate.