Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute once again ranks among the best universities in the United States, according to the annual list of college rankings released this week by U.S. News & World Report. Rensselaer ranked 42 among all national universities.

The ranking follows last month’s recognition from USA Today, which included Rensselaer as fifth on the list of “Top 10 Engineering Colleges in the United States.”

The U.S. News ranking is the latest recognition of the long-held reputation of Rensselaer as one of the nation’s top universities. This reputation reinforces what the Institute saw in its most recent admissions cycle: the demand for a Rensselaer education has never been higher.

Top-tier high school students from around the world seek out, apply to, and ultimately choose to attend Rensselaer. The Institute has set records for freshman applications for 10 consecutive years, and applications to join the Rensselaer Class of 2018 represented an increase of 17 percent over the previous year. The admitted first-year class is exceptionally accomplished and diverse, comprised of students with a special interest in discovery, innovation, and interdisciplinary study in architecture, engineering, science, technology, management, and the intersection of technology with the humanities, arts, and social sciences.

Rensselaer has been ranked as one of the top 50 national universities by U.S. News for the past 15 years.

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer is the oldest technological research university in the English-speaking world. As it approaches its bicentennial anniversary, the Institute continues to define the New Polytechnic, a new paradigm for teaching, learning, and research that uses advanced technologies to enable fresh collaborations across disciplines, sectors, and regions, in order to answer the great global challenges of our day.