The accolades for Penn State and its extensive alumni base continue to roll in. College Magazine ranked Penn State’s alumni base number one, over prestigious Ivy League schools such as Dartmouth, Harvard, and in-state neighbor UPenn, while also placing it ahead of Big Ten rivals Northwestern and Michigan (obviously).

Here’s what author Daniel Kuhn had to say about the prominence of Penn State’s alumni network:

Penn State alumni aren’t only a blue and white clad crowd appearing en masse on football weekends. As the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world, the Penn State Alumni Association is an international community. Executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, Roger Williams, said that 140 chapters of alumni exist in cities across the country, giving alumni an automatic professional and social network. “Other schools have great alumni, but nothing is quite like the breadth and depth of passion alumni have for Penn State.” Penn State students “bleed blue and white” for life.

Now, Kuhn might hold some bias, given the fact he’s currently a journalism student at Penn State, but he’s not the first Nittany Lion to hold the Penn State Alumni Association in such high regard. President Eric Barron issued a thank you message to Penn Staters — especially Penn State alumni — for a successful first year at the helm.

Not every school boasts such a tremendous, passionate alumni base. It’s a testament to the sense of unity shared by Penn Staters past and present, and is something every Penn Stater should be grateful for. And if anything, it’s another friendly reminder we’re all incredibly fortunate to attend Penn State.