Princeton Review to Rate Colleges on Eco-Friendly Initiatives

Published 10 July 08 05:53 PM | Student Loan Girl

In addition to categories like tuition and fees, and campus life, colleges and universities are now being rated on just how green they are, according to an article in The Christian Science Monitor (“Now, ‘Green’ Report Cards for U.S. Colleges,” July 8, 2008).

Sustainability has become such an important issue for college students that six out of 10 college applicants and parents say the environmental factor would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school, according to a survey this year by Princeton Review.

The for-profit test preparation company will include a “Green Rating” of 600 colleges in several of its popular college guides this summer in an effort to help students find environmentally-friendly schools. Colleges and universities will be rated on their building and transportation policies, food sources, recycling, and the availability of environmental courses, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

Julian Dautremont-Smith, associate director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, said her organization is seeing more schools “look at sustainability as a strategic priority and a way of distinguishing themselves.”

“There are many schools that are striving to be … the ‘greenest’ campus,” she added.

Students can check out whether their campus is eco-conscious by looking at the College Sustainability Report Card, which gives letter grades to at least 200 public and private schools with the largest endowments.