Colorado State University is ranked sixth in the nation among environmentally responsible colleges, according to Princeton Review. The education services company surveyed hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability and chose 399 to include in its annual guide to green colleges.
Exceptional commitment to sustainability
CSU is highlighted in Princeton Review’s “Top 50 Green Colleges” guide, ranking universities nationwide that make the most exceptional commitments to sustainability. The schools are selected based on their academic offerings, campus policies, initiatives, activities and career preparation for students.
Princeton Review’s ranking is based on a combination of school-reported data and student opinion, collected in 2018–2019 via our institutional and student surveys.
“Colorado State has ranked in the top six for all major sustainability indexes this year and that is a testament to our strong commitment across the board in academics, research, engagement, operations, and administration,” said Tonie Miyamoto, co-chair of the President’s Sustainability Commission. “Our students, our staff, and our faculty continually drive our campus sustainability initiatives forward.”
Some compelling facts about the “Top 50 Green Colleges” in the guide are:
- 23 percent of their total food purchases are from local sources and/or organic
- 49 percent of their waste is diverted from incinerators or solid waste landfills
- 98 percent have a sustainability officer and sustainability committee
- 100 percent offer a sustainability-focused undergraduate major or degree
The complete “Top 50 Green Colleges” ranking list and full alphabetical list of all 399 schools in the guide are at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.
First in the world
Earlier this year, CSU made The Princeton Review’s 2019 Green Honor Roll, a list of 26 schools that received the highest possible score of 99 in the organization’s Green Rating tallies.
After becoming the first university in the world to have its sustainability efforts rated as STARS Platinum, last year CSU achieved that highest possible STARS rating from AASHE for the second time.
In addition to the Princeton Review top 10 ranking, CSU rose to fourth place on this year’s “Cool Schools” ranking from the Sierra Club’s official magazine, Sierra.
And for the second year in a row, CSU has been ranked first for public engagement in the 2018 Sustainable Campus Index, a publication of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
