With more than 4,000 colleges in the U.S., narrowing down the options can be a daunting task for any high school student. Considerations like academic programs, extracurriculars, school size and location all come into play, and for the eco-conscious, spending four years at a place that values sustainability can also be a factor.
Although recent research shows that millennials don’t recycle, many young people are deeply concerned about the environment. So which colleges provide an experience in line with their values? BestColleges.com, a provider of higher education information and resources, ranked the top 15 using data from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Here are the top five:
5 Greenest Universities
5. University of Washington
- More than 40 environmental student groups on campus
- Grant opportunities are available to members of the university community who want to implement projects that reduce the school’s environmental impact
- UW’s goal is to buy only 100 percent recycled paper
4. University of Connecticut
- A 25-person Environmental Policy Advisory Council reports to the college president on matters of sustainability
- More than 20 buildings are LEED certified or registered
- Dorms participate in an annual EcoMadness competition to see which building can use the least energy and water per capita over a given month
3. Sterling College
- The school is specifically focused on environmental stewardship, with all majors related to this mission
- A student-run farm produces 20 percent of the food served on-campus, and much of the labor is performed by draft horses (as opposed to modern farm equipment)
- On-campus barns are powered by solar energy
2. Stanford University
- The university’s goal is 75 percent waste diversion by 2020
- Almost half of the food served in Stanford’s 30 dining halls is either organic or locally sourced
- The university offers nearly 500 courses on sustainability
1. Colorado State University – Fort Collins
- Home to the first solar-heated/air-conditioned on-campus building
- Programs in ecosystem science, sustainability, alternative fuels, conservation and many more
- Easy access to mountain biking, skiing, rafting and other outdoor sports
See the full rankings and methodology here.