For the second year in a row, Bethany College has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report on the 2019 “Best Colleges” list for Regional Colleges Midwest. This year Bethany College moved up one place from the previous year.

In addition to being named on the “Best Colleges” list, Bethany College has been named second in the ethnic diversity category for Regional Colleges Midwest. College-bound students interested in studying with people of different backgrounds consider stats on racial and ethnic diversity. The U.S. News & World Report factored in the proportion of minority students—leaving out international students—and the overall mix of groups in each institution’s 2017-2018 academic year student body, according to the publication.

“Bethany College provides a transformational education of the mind and heart,” President Will Jones said. “I am confident our alumni, many of whom are successful professionals who love God and love people, will agree Bethany is deserving of such recognition and praise.”

The data U.S. News gathers on colleges—and the rankings of the schools that arise from these data—serve as an objective guide by which students and their parents can compare the academic quality of schools. Eighty percent of a school’s ranking is based on a formula that uses objective measures of academic quality, such as graduation rates, social mobility, faculty information, and admissions data. The remaining 20 percent is based on academic reputation, determined by a peer assessment from top academics at colleges.

New this year, the “Best Colleges” added to its methodology and rankings by factoring in a school’s success at promoting social mobility by graduating students who received federal Pell Grants. Through this update, U.S. News is measuring how well schools support low-income students through graduation. Last year Bethany College graduated 43 percent of Pell Grant eligible students.