The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review's Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition Is Now Out
College of the Atlantic Is #1 on "Top 50 Green Colleges" List
NEW YORK, October 25, 2022 / — The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review® today released its 13th annual Guide to Green Colleges —a resource the company has published online since 2010 for college applicants seeking schools with strong commitments to the environment in their campus policies, programs, and practices.
Accessible for free at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide, the Guide to Green Colleges, 2023 Edition profiles 455 colleges and presents a ranking list of the Top 50 Green Colleges.
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review chose the schools for the guide and its ranking list based on data from the company’s surveys of administrators at 713 colleges during the 2021–22 academic year and surveys of students attending the colleges. More than 25 data points were analyzed in the selection of schools for the guide and ranking list. Details follow on how the schools were chosen and the ranking list was tallied.
The College of the Atlantic (ME) is #1 on the guide’s list of Top 50 Green Colleges. It is an accolade the school has earned for the past seven years of this project. The school’s green distinctions are many. Founded in 1969, the College of the Atlantic awards bachelor’s and master’s degrees solely in the field of human ecology. The school became the first carbon-neutral college in the U.S. in 2007, and it has committed to becoming fossil fuel–free by 2030.
Dickinson College (PA) is #2 on the list for a second year, and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is #3—up from #9 on last year’s list. Below is a list of the top 25 schools on the list.
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review’s release of the guide at this time coincides with the (AASHE)’s annual October event, —an international celebration of sustainability in higher education.
"Since we debuted this project 13 years ago, we have seen an increasing interest among college applicants in attending colleges that are committed to the environment and to green practices” said Rob Franek, Editor in Chief of The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review. He noted that of the 10,400 college applicants participating in The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review’s 2022 College Hopes & Worries Survey, an overwhelming majority—77%—said information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend the school. Of that cohort, 37% said such information would contribute “strongly” or “very much” to their decision about a school.
“Over the years, we have also seen a significant growth in the number of colleges pivoting to sustainability-related policies and programs,” Franek added. “We are proud to shine a light on these schools and to continue serving as a unique resource for students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also ideally be a green one. We highly recommend each and every one of the colleges in our guide.”
The top 25 schools on The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review's ranking list of Top 50 Green Colleges for 2022 are:
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
- Dickinson College (PA)
- State University of New York—College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Emory University (GA)
- Colorado State University
- Williams College (MA)
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- Northeastern University (MA)
- American University (DC)
- University of California—Merced
- University of Vermont
- Bennington College (VT)
- Colby College (ME)
- University of Connecticut
- Skidmore College (NY)
- University of California—Irvine
- Iowa State University
- Arizona State University
- University of Richmond (VA)
- Emerson College (MA)
- Macalester College (MN)
- Lehigh University (PA)
- Southwestern University (TX)
The complete list of The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review’s top 50 green colleges is viewable here. As a group, the schools share impressive statistics with respect to their commitments to sustainability. Among the top 50 schools overall:
- 16% of their total food purchases are from local sources and/or organic
- 48% of their waste is diverted from incinerators or solid-waste landfills
- 98% offer a sustainability-focused undergraduate major or degree
- 100% have a sustainability officer
The college profiles in The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review’s Guide to Green Colleges present information on the schools’ uses of renewable energy, their recycling and conservation programs, the availability of environmental studies in their academic offerings, and their career guidance for green jobs. The profiles also include information on the schools' admission requirements, cost, and financial aid.
How Schools Were Chosen for the Guide
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review chose the 455 colleges based on its 2021–22 survey of administrators at 713 colleges concerning their institutions' sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company’s editors analyzed more than 25 data points from the survey to tally Green Rating scores for the schools on a scale of 60 to 99. Colleges that earned a Green Rating score of 80 or higher were chosen for the Guide to Green Colleges. Of the 455 schools selected for the 2023 edition of the guide, 421 are in the U.S., 26 are in Canada, two are in Taiwan and one (each) is in Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Ireland, Mexico, and Morocco.
Thirty-one of the 455 schools in the guide earned a Green Rating score of 99 (the highest possible score). They are listed in The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review's Green Honor Roll (reported August 2022). The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review’s Green Rating scores of colleges appear in the profiles of the schools on ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵReview.com and in profiles in the company’s flagship college guide, The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition (August 2022).
How the Guide's Top 50 Green Colleges Ranking List Was Tallied
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review tallied the top 50 ranking list based on data from its surveys of administrators at the colleges as well as its surveys of students attending the colleges. The methodology factored in ten data points from the administrator survey and three data points from the student survey. Data from the student survey included student assessments of the influence of sustainability issues on their academic and campus experiences; administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups on the campus. Note: The 455 schools in the guide overall are not ranked from 1 to 455, hierarchically. They are listed alphabetically.
About The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review® is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. They include: online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review is now in its 41st year. The company’s brand, now in its 22nd year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 23 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review is headquartered in New York, NY. The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review is not affiliated with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ University. For more information, visit ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵReview.com and the company's Media Center. Follow the company on Twitter () and Instagram ().
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Note to Editors
Alphabetical lists of the colleges in the guide are accessible two ways on ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review.com:
- by location (country/state/school) at: www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/green-guide/green-colleges-by-location, and
- by school name at: www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/green-guide/green-schools-full-list
Available for interviews about this project are Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief, and David Soto, Senior Director of Data Operations at The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Review. Contact Jeanne Krier, Director of Publicity at pressoffice@review.com.
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