File photo.

“Washington Monthly,” a Washington D.C.-based magazine known for its annual rankings of American colleges and universities, announced that Fresno State placed No. 17 on its list of the top national universities, moving up eight spots from last year. The announcement was made on Monday.

Fresno State was selected alongside six Ivy League institutions, six University of California campuses, MIT and top-ranked Stanford on the list.

“Fresno State is proud to represent the California State University system in the top 30,” said Joseph L. Castro, Fresno State president.

“Washington Monthly” bases its rankings on three factors: social mobility, research and service. The rankings measure “what colleges do for their country,” recognizing universities that produce research, train the next generation of scientists and PhDs and instill graduates with an ethos of public service.”

Fresno State was also ranked No. 1 in the national university category in commitment to spending federal work-study funds on public service. At Fresno State, 69 percent of the work-study funds go to service.

The university was further cited for its “stellar graduation rate relative to other colleges with a similar admissions profile.” The magazine also said Fresno State’s “net price of attendance (what students pay after scholarships are deducted from tuition) is among the very lowest nationwide.”

Fresno State was reclassified as a Carnegie doctoral university in 2016, meaning it was reviewed the past two years with the nation’s top doctoral granting institutions rather than the top master’s universities. Fresno State offers doctoral degrees in nursing, physical therapy and educational leadership.