Northwestern has been recognized in the past month for the high quality of both its students and faculty members.

A study released Thursday by the cognitive training site Luminosity ranked NU as the fourth smartest university in the country. The research tested the cognitive abilities of more than 60,000 college students in five areas: memory, attention, problem solving, speed and flexibility.

NU secured its spot in the top five below Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Stanford University.

The study’s results come less than a month after seven Northwestern faculty members were inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious honors societies.

The faculty members comprise a group of nine NU fellows elected for the society in April. They represent nine of 220 new fellows and 17 foreign honorary members leading the charge in research, scholarship, business, the arts and public affairs, according to a University press release issued in October.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences pulls from its members’ expertise to conduct studies in science and technology policy and global security, among other categories. Members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences include winners of Pulitzer Prizes, Academy Awards and the National Medal of Science.

— Tal Axelrod and Lauren Caruba