“One of the reasons I chose MSU was because it had such a great study abroad program,” the Spanish and interdisciplinary studies in social science and international relations sophomore said.

The U.S. News & World Report recognized three MSU programs, including study abroad, as academic programs to look for in its annual college guide.

MSU’s Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, or CSLCE, and the three residential colleges — Lyman Briggs College, James Madison College and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities — also made the list.

Karen McKnight Casey, director of CSLCE, said each program offers an opportunity to knock other colleges off their lists.

“There’s so many colleges and universities across the country, so you have to have some way to look beyond the basic propaganda sent out by each individual institution,” she said. “MSU does value service and that does appeal to the students.”

The magazine ranked MSU 71st out of 260 national universities and 30th out of 164 public universities.

Kent Cassella, MSU’s director of media relations, said the rankings spread what students, staff and faculty already know and helped support MSU’s global reputation.

“The U.S. News & World Report rankings are one of several rankings out there,” Cassella said. “It’s important to look at each category, whether it’s programs to watch or individual programs, and how they match up against similar colleges.”

MSU’s study abroad program is the largest of its kind among U.S. public universities, and participation more than doubled in the last decade, said Cindy Chalou, acting director of MSU’s study abroad program.

For students such as Krebs, the program becomes important for choosing schools, Chalou said.

“It’s one of the deciding factors in their decision-making process,” she said.

Stephen Esquith, dean of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, said the large number of students involved in MSU’s study abroad volunteer and residential college programs shows a commitment to undergraduate education.

“It might be one of the three residential colleges or it might be a two-year program in another college, but these living-learning options are important,” Esquith said. “I think they set MSU apart among the premier research institutions in the U.S.”