CLEMSON UNIVERSITY — Clemson University moved from 27th to 22nd in U.S. New & World Report’s ranking of best national public university in the country. The ranking is among 164 public, doctorate-granting schools.

In a new category Clemson also received recognition as a “school to watch.”

Clemson is No. 2 among national public universities in the "up and coming" category as "a college that has recently made striking improvements or innovations — a school everyone should be watching," according to the magazine.

Clemson’s improvement overall is based on gains in the graduation rate from 75 percent to 78 percent; the freshman retention rate is up from 88 percent to 90 percent; and alumni giving increased from 27 percent to 28 percent, according to a school statement.

The university has more classes with fewer than 20 students and more freshmen — 52 percent — in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Clemson's "Writing Across the Curriculum" initiative also was singled out. Colleges cited in the "Writing in the Disciplines" category make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

Clemson's undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 51 among those at all universities, up from 57 last year.

U.S.News & World Report rankings are based on statistical measures, such as student SAT scores, graduation rates and faculty salaries, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation. The list of public doctoral-granting institutions ranks universities across the country that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

America's Best Colleges 2009 will be published in the U.S. News & World Report magazine to be on newsstands Monday.