The University of Hawaii at Manoa announced today it has retained a high ranking in the U.S. and international communities, according to the 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities.

UH Manoa remained in the 70-95 range in the U.S. and in the 201-300 range in the world in the annual ranking, which was released Aug. 15.

In the U.S., Harvard University ranked No. 1, Stanford University No. 2 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology No. 3.

The ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, which has published the annual ranking since 2009, selected more than 1,500 of the best research universities from about 20,000 around the world. The best 500 are published.

They are ranked by several indicators of academic or research performance, including alumni and staff that have won Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals; highly cited researchers; papers published in Nature and Science; and the per capita academic performance of an institution.

In addition to the overall ranking, specific subject areas at each campus are also rated internationally.

UH Manoa held top recognition in the natural sciences, particularly oceanography, which ranked No. 8, atmospheric science, which ranked No. 30, and earth sciences which was in the 51-75 range. Under social sciences, UH Manoa ranked in the 76-100 range for communication as well as hospitality and tourism management, and in the 101-150 range for education.

“These rankings reflect the stellar achievements of our faculty and our alumni, and affirm the international stature of the university,” David Lassner UH-Manoa interim chancellor, said in a news release. “Manoa’s prestigious rankings as an institution and in a wide variety of fields once again demonstrates its research and academic excellence in the world.”