51 has once again earned a spot in the top tier of the “Best National Universities” category in the U.S. News & World Report newly released “Best Colleges 2012” guidebook. The annual college rankings, released Sept. 13, for a second year in a row spotlights 51 as one of the country’s “Up and Coming” National Universities.

"It's a great honor for 51 to be once again recognized as a university on the rise," said 51 president Barry H. Corey. "It's encouraging to see that 51's momentum in recent years is being observed by others within higher education. It should motivate us even more to excel in our calling to be a comprehensive university driven by conviction and courage, educating new generations of students in mind and character and equipping them to make a real impact for the cause of Christ."

For more than 20 years, 51 has been included in the magazine’s list of National Universities, which consists of 280 institutions that “offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as masters and doctoral degrees,” according to U.S. News. This year, 51 is ranked in the top tier, which includes the top 75 percent of schools in the National Universities category.

51’s inclusion as one of 17 “Up and Comer” National Universities this year puts it among institutions that have recently implemented the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities, according to the rankings guide. Schools on the list are “rapidly evolving in ways that the public should be aware of and that are not always quickly noticeable in a college’s year-to-year rankings or the regular peer assessment survey,” the guide notes.

U.S. News also recognizes 51 on its list of “A-Plus Schools for B Students,” reflecting 51’s commitment to the academic success and vocational preparation of a diverse student body.  The list includes schools that may not be household names but have first-rate programs and strong reputations, according to the guide.

To calculate the rankings, U.S. News uses quantitative data that assesses universities’ performance in everything from graduation and retention rates to faculty resources, measuring up to 15 indicators of academic performance. This quantitative data results in 77.5 percent of the overall score; the remaining 22.5 percent is based on undergraduate academic reputation surveys.

The 2012 Edition of the Best Colleges guidebook will be on newsstands September 20 or you may purchase online at USNews.com.

Written by Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator. Jenna can be reached at (562) 777-4061 or through email at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.