MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) -- The rankings and economic impact of Kansas universities were the main focus of a meeting of the state’s top economic advisers Monday.

The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors met at Kansas Sate University’s Alumni Center for several hours. Governor Sam Brownback says the council would like to see state grow its universities in their rankings in different areas and their economic impact.

In the annual U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges 2013, KU ranked 106th among national universities, which is down from 101st last year, and 51st among public universities, down from 46th.

Kansas State University was ranked 139th and 70th.

The president of Kansas State University’s Institute for Commercialization told the council that outreach into the private sector on a national and global level is key to universities marking their strengths and making money.

“Universities, I think, on a going forward basis, are going to be integral parts of the economy as they are now but even more so in a state of our size. We have to see that our universities are really hitting the peg of what we need to do for growing the economy and having a major global impact on the areas that we play in,” Governor Brownback said during the meeting.

The vice chair of the Kansas Board of Regents says each of the state’s public universities has a long term strategic plan to generate wealth and improve their standings and the board will be monitoring and tracking their progress.

Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz told the council that the university has the largest freshmen class in the school’s history and a record year in private investments. KSU hopes to become one of the nation's top land grant institutions by 2025.