The University of Georgia moved up one spot to rank No. 17 on the Forbes “Top 25 Public Colleges 2016” list released this week.

Forbes ranked 660 public and private colleges and universities using factors that the publication says favor “output over input. Our sights are set directly on return on investment: What are students getting out of college.”

“As the University of Georgia continues to gain recognition as one of the nation’s top public universities, students and alumni can be more confident than ever in the value of a UGA education,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Significant investments to enhance the learning environment and provide students with the support they need to succeed are clearly paying dividends, and the future of this institution is very bright.”

The only other SEC school on the public school list was the University of Florida at No. 13. Georgia Tech also was ranked in the top 25 at No. 15, followed by the University of Texas at Austin at No. 16.

Forbes teamed with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity to rank the schools. CCAP used five general categories to determine the rankings:

— Student satisfaction (25 percent): student evaluations, retention rates.
— Post-graduate success (32.5 percent): salary of alumni, CCAP’s America’s Leaders List.
— Student debt (25 percent): average federal student loan debt load, student loan default rates, percent of students taking federal loans.
— Graduation rate (7.5 percent): four-year graduation rate.
— Academic success (10 percent): students who win prestigious scholarships or earn a Ph.D.

Among other honors UGA has received in the last year are a No. 21 ranking in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” edition and No. 12 on Kiplinger Magazine’s list of best values among public colleges and universities.