UNLV continues to rise in U.S. News & World Report’s annual listing of the nation’s most diverse universities for undergraduates.

The university is tied for second in the publication’s annual Best Ethnic Diversity listing released today, a jump from sixth last year. UNLV has placed in the top ten for the past five years.

“This recognition is a reflection of our determined efforts to make UNLV an open and inclusive environment for students," said Rainier Spencer, UNLV chief diversity officer. “As UNLV emerges as a top tier national university, we need to be even more intentional in our focus on ensuring that these diverse students all experience the kind of success they are seeking by coming here.”

The Best Ethnic Diversity category identifies colleges where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from racial or ethnic groups different from their own. It noted UNLV’s high percentage of Hispanic students.

More than half of all undergraduate students at UNLV report being part of a racial or ethnic minority. Earlier this year, UNLV became the first four-year institution in Nevada to reach Hispanic enrollment of 25 percent, meeting the U.S Department of Education’s definition of an Hispanic Serving Institution. The university also meets Minority Serving Institution requirements as an Asian American, Native-American, and Pacific-Islander-Serving Institution.

The U.S. News report, which evaluated data from the 2014-15 academic year, calculated a rise in UNLV’s diversity index from 0.73 to 0.74 on a scale of 0.1 to 1.0. UNLV was one of four universities with a 0.74 diversity index. The school in the top spot earned 0.76. 

The listing considers the overall mix of Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, White, and multiracial (two or more races) students. It does not include international students.

Find a link to the full report at usnews.com.