Nov 02, 2016 09:12 AM EDT By Jane Reed, UniversityHerald Reporter

Based on a survey ranking by College Choice, the Oakland University earned top seven as the safest among large universities and colleges. Only schools with more than 15,000 students can get ranked by this college resource website.

Safety and security is now one of the factors prospective college and university students consider when choosing their higher education destination. Out of the fifty large colleges and universities in America, Oakland University was able to get the top 7.

Mark Gordon, the Oakland University Police Chief, says that everyone has to stay diligent in order to be safe. He understand the risks and responsibilities of being a part of a huge campus. Gordon says that this rank supports the belief Oakland University has when it comes to the safety and security of their college student community.

In order to get ranked, College Choice used data from the United States Department of Education, as well as public information from the fifty colleges and universities. Their data can be gathered from their official website. Data from the United States News & World Report, plus the National Center for Education Statistics were also used in order to rank these schools.

Oakland University has an Office of Environmental Health And Safety team that oversees the security of the campus. The Office considers construction safety, environmental protection, fire safety and even occupational health. According to the official school statement, safety also includes the holistic approach to happiness and health. Not just the lack of crime in the community.

In order to be ranked, the schools must meet the following criteria:

1. General safety - This considers theft, arson, assault and other crimes for the past three years.

2. Anti Discrimination - This accounts the number of hate crimes in the last three years.

3. Women's Safety - This reflects Violence Against Women.

4. Party Culture - The number of alcohol and drug incidents in the campus is also considered.

5. Fire Safety - Was there any fire for the past three years?

Brigham Young University got the sixth place while Sam Houston State University got eighth, according to Oakland.

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