NEW YORK—The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), has released the second annual edition of its free guidebook saluting the United States and Canada’s most environmentally responsible “green colleges.” The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition profiles 308 institutions of higher education in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Forty of the schools appearing in the guidebook also appear on the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (CHRIE) Guide to College Programs in Hospitality, Tourism & Culinary Arts.
The Princeton Review, well known for its education and test-prep services, first created this one-of-a-kind resource for college-bound students in 2010 in collaboration with USGBC, which is best known for developing the LEED green building certification program. This past fall, USGBC launched its Center for Green Schools to increase its efforts to drive change in how campuses and schools are designed, constructed and operated so that all educational facilities can enhance student learning experiences.
The first 20 of 40 schools appearing on CHRIE’s list and in the new guidebook include: Appalachian State University, Auburn University, Ball State University, Boston University, California State Polytechnic University—Pomona, California State University—Chico, Colorado State University, Cornell University, DePaul University, Drexel University, Florida State University, Georgia Southern University, Iowa State University, James Madison University, Kansas State University, Michigan State University, New York University, Niagara University, Northern Arizona University, and Ohio University—Athens.
The second 20 of 40 schools include: San Diego State University, San Francisco State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern New Hampshire University, State University of New York—College at Oneonta, Syracuse University, The University of Alabama—Tuscaloosa, The University of Memphis, University of Central Florida, University of Delaware, University of Denver, University of Florida, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Houston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, University of Mississippi, University of Missouri, University of New Hampshire, University of North Texas, University of South Florida, University of Southern Mississippi, University of West Florida, Washington State University, and Western Kentucky University.
College Applicants Using the Guide Will Find:
• School profiles with application, admission, financial aid and student enrollment information.
• “Green Highlights” write-ups detailing each school’s most impressive environmental and sustainability initiatives.
• “Green Facts” sidebars reporting statistics and facts on everything from the school’s use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies programs, and green jobs career guidance.
• A glossary of 40-plus green terms and acronyms from AASHE to “zero waste.”
• Lists identifying schools in the book with various green distinctions—among them: those with LEED certified buildings and those that are signatories of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
The guidebook also has an introductory section discussing sustainability issues and advice on living green on campus. A final section, “Stories from Campus,” reports on ways 10 schools in the book chosen by USGBC are creatively addressing sustainability issues on their campuses in curriculum, transportation, student involvement and other areas.
Most Students Prefer Green-focused Schools
“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president, Publishing, The Princeton Review. “Among 8,200 college applicants who participated in our spring 2011 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly seven out of 10 (69 percent) told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school. Together with USGBC, we are pleased to make this free resource available to all students seeking to attend colleges that practice, teach and support environmentally-responsible choices. To that end, we highly recommend the terrific schools in this book.”
“A green campus can transform the college experience for students through enhanced sustainability education and by creating healthy living and learning environments all while saving energy, water and money as part of an institution’s bottom line,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “We launched the Center for Green Schools at USGBC with a vision of green schools for all within this generation. Partnering with The Princeton Review to provide this invaluable resource to college-bound students was a no-brainer for helping to create transformational change on these campuses.”
How Schools Were Chosen for the Book
The Princeton Review chose the 311 schools based on a survey it conducted in 2010 of hundreds of colleges across the United States and in Canada to tally its annual “Green Rating” scores (scaled from 60 to 99) of colleges for its school profiles in its college guidebooks and website. The survey asks administrators more than 50 questions about their institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The company tallied Green Ratings for 703 institutions in summer 2010. The 311 schools in this guide received scores of 80 or above in that assessment. (Note: The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in this guide hierarchically (1 to 311) according to their Green Rating scores, nor does it include those scores in this book’s school profiles.) Information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology and its “Green Honor Roll” list saluting schools that received Green Ratings of 99 is at www.princetonreview.com/green.aspx.
