U.S. News Selects Champlain College as a'Top Up-and-Coming School' in 2010 Rankings

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• Samuel de Champlain statue at Champlain College, Burlington, VT
• Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont

Champlain College has been recognized as one of America's "Top Up-and-Coming Schools" in U.S. News & World Report's newly released 2010 edition of "America's Best Colleges."

"Champlain has experienced tremendous transformation and innovation over the last decade, and these rankings recognize and reinforce our many successes," says David F. Finney, president of Champlain College. "The rankings also reflect the hard work of our faculty and staff as well as recognition by our peers for the cutting-edge approaches that have made us a national leader in professionally-focused education enhanced by a comprehensive and interdisciplinary core liberal arts curriculum."

This is the first year that Champlain has made the "Top Up-and-Coming Schools" list - one of only 77 colleges and universities given this designation. The category, which began last year, recognizes institutions that "have recently made striking improvements or innovations" in areas such as academic programs, faculty, students, or facilities. Champlain is ranked No. 13, among the overall Best Baccalaureate Colleges-North Region rankings.

During the past decade, Champlain College has significantly increased enrollment from 1,497 full-time traditional students in 2000 to 1,950 in 2009; the full-time faculty has risen from 55 to 112 and residential students from 561 to 1,120. Ten years ago, Champlain offered 22 undergraduate programs. It now offers 30 undergraduate programs, five graduate programs and offers more than 20 continuing professional studies programs.

Champlain College recently opened the award-winning Emergent Media Center in Champlain Mill in Winooski; offers the Bring Your Own Business program for student entrepreneurs; won the 2009 Andrew Heiskell Award for international and global education initiatives; has study abroad campuses in Montreal, Canada and Dublin, Ireland; and is constructing a new $15 million student welcome center on campus, expected to open August 2010.

The Chronicle of Higher Education, a weekly magazine covering news and trends at colleges and universities, earlier this year featured an in-depth report on Champlain College's "Education in 3-D" approach to learning. It reported Champlain "has radically revamped its class structure to better prepare students for life beyond the lecture halls. The Chronicle noted that Champlain's innovative curriculum produces well-rounded, multidimensional graduates who are ready for life after college.

"We frequently hear from students and parents that the approach, and the associated outcomes, to a Champlain College investment is valuable. However, it is very gratifying and humbling for our peer institutions to highlight Champlain during this ranking process," noted Ian Mortimer, Champlain College's Director of Admission. To see the full ranking list, http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/bacc-north-rankings.

Champlain College was founded in 1878 and currently has nearly 2,000 undergraduate students. To learn more about Champlain College and to get information about applying, visit www.champlain.edu