FORT COLLINS – U.S. News and World Report ranked Colorado State University in the top tier of best universities in the nation in its 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” edition.

The annual list placed CSU 64th among public universities and 128th overall.

“We provide students with an outstanding, competitive education, conduct research that can improve the quality of life for communities worldwide and, through community outreach, help meet the needs of Colorado residents,´ said Tony Frank, CSU president. “These rankings are a strong indicator of the quality of our state’s system of higher education, with our three top research universities all included in the top tier nationwide despite some serious funding challenges in recent years.”

Other Colorado universities ranked in the top tier include the Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado-Boulder and the University of Denver.

U.S. News also featured Colorado schools in a special section called “Road Trip.” Of Colorado State, the magazine said, “The community holds firmly to the school’s core appeal: a humble, laid-back attitude and a hands-on, practical approach to learning.”

A complete list of rankings and methodologies can be found at www.usnews.com.