The 2013 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings is out, and some local universities and colleges once again made the grade.

Among the top 200 Best National Universities, Carnegie Mellon University ranked first among local schools at No. 23.

US News and World Report bases its rankings on such things as freshman retention, graduation rates, and the strength of the faculty, plus 16 so-called “indicators” of academic excellence.

You can read the full reports here: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges