Green Colleges

The Princeton Review's 2010 annual guides include green ratings for colleges and universities. It gives green ratings to 697 colleges, a 30% increase in the number of participants from last year. The Princeton Review rates schools on a scale of 60 to 99 in eight categories, including the green rating. This category was developed in 2007 with ecoAmerica, a nonprofit that helped launch the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, among other programs. The criteria cover three broad areas: whether campus quality of life is healthy and sustainable; how well the school prepares students for employment and citizenship in a world with environmental challenges; and the school’s overall commitment to environmental issues.

The Princeton Review also announced the “2010 Green Rating Honor Roll,” of 15 schools that received the highest possible score of 99: Arizona State University at the Tempe campus, Bates College, Binghamton University, College of the Atlantic, Colorado College, Dickinson College, Evergreen State College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard College, Middlebury College, Northeastern University, University of California, University of New Hampshire, University of Washington, and Yale University.

A new section of Princeton Review’s website is dedicated as a resource area for students and others interested in learning about the ratings and benefits of attending a green college. It includes information on colleges with exemplary environmental programs, questions to ask on school visits, and links to organizations that promote higher education and campus sustainability programs. Check it out at www.princetonreview.com/green.