ITB was considered the top choice among Indonesia's high school students in 2006 and has been credited as one of the most prestigious universities in Indonesia, together with Gadjah Mada University and University of Indonesia.[5][6] Sukarno, the first president of the Republic of Indonesia, earned his engineering degree in civil engineering from ITB. Furthermore, B. J. Habibie, the third president of Indonesia, also spent a year in the mechanical engineering department of ITB and is officially recognized as a graduate.