'Up and Comer'

Biola achieved its highest ranking ever in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings this August, earning a spot in the top tier of the “Best National Universities” category. The “Best Colleges” guide also spotlights Biola as one of the country’s 28 “up and coming” national universities.

For more than 20 years, Biola has been included in the magazine’s list of national universities, which consists of 262 institutions that offer the widest range of programs and emphasize research. This year, Biola is ranked at No. 170 overall, making it one of only three schools in the 110-member Council for Christian Colleges & Universities to place in the top tier.

Biola’s inclusion as an “up and coming” university 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.

Other schools to make the up and coming list include the University of Southern California, Wake Forest, Rice, Purdue and Pepperdine.