Ranking on the U.S. News and World Report's Top Colleges list are both controversial and coveted. Although many will argue about their methods, for better or worse, it's a list parents and students look to when considering where to invest their money, and their future.
A subset of the rankings is the "Up-and-Coming Schools" list. How do schools get on the list? The publication says the list ranks schools that "are making the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, and student life."
On top of the list: University of Maryland - Baltimore County. Number 2 on the list - George Mason University in Fairfax County. Just a few spots down at number 8 - University of Maryland in College Park.
Some might argue that University of Maryland in College Park, founded in 1856, has arrived a long time ago - but US News says they come up with their rankings based on the recommendations from a survey of top college officials. They asked college presidents, provosts, and admission deans to nominate ten colleges on the make.
US News says they put the list out there to identify schools making upgrades that might not get reflected in the annual overall rankings.
To check the rest of the rankings, click here.
