After it was left out last year, Kent State has once more secured a spot on the U.S. News and World Report college rankings.

Kent State tied for 201st with five other national universities — the last ranked position.

Since the 2010-11 edition, Kent State has fallen 18 spots in the rankings.

“One of the criteria is the average faculty pay, and last year we didn’t have final negotiations with our faculty on our new contracts, and that hurt us in the ranking last year,” said Emily Vincent, a university spokeswoman. “It has nothing to do with the academics of the institution.”

Kent campus’ high enrollment numbers reflect the prestige of the university, she said. In addition, downtown’s revitalization and Kent State’s dedicated faculty set this institution apart — ranking or no ranking.

“Students should not be concerned,” Vincent said. “Kent State is a No. 1 choice for many of our students.”

Still, Vincent and Provost Todd Diacon praised the university for its inclusion on the list.

“Today we released our fall enrollment numbers, and at our Kent campus we enrolled our largest and academically best-qualified freshman class ever, drawn from a record 21,700 applicants,” Diacon said in a prepared statement. “And now Kent State is in the first tier of U.S. News’ list of the Best National Universities, and is the only public university in Northeast Ohio to achieve this distinction. We are truly having a great start to this fall semester.”

Contact Rex Santus at [email protected].