The Princeton Review released its annual Guide to Green Colleges, highlighting 388 institutions worldwide for their strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
Each institution received a “Green Score” rating from 60 to 99 based on a 25-point sustainability survey collected from college administrators and students.
According to The Princeton Review, the survey examines key indicators of sustainability commitment, including use of renewable energy and efficiency, waste management and recycling initiatives, sustainability-focused academic offerings and student engagement in environmental awareness.
Colorado College was rated 97 out of 99.
The school did not appear in The Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges list, which was led by College of the Atlantic, American University and Lehigh University.
A statement from Colorado College said the high green score rating recognizes the school’s “commitment to sustainability, environmental responsibility and preparing students for a clean-energy future.”
CC Sustainability Program Manager Mae Rohrbach said the rating reflects sustainability efforts throughout campus.
“While we are proud of this recognition, it reminds us that sustainability is an ongoing journey, and there is still much work to be done,” she said. “We look forward to continuing this long-term commitment together as a campus community and in partnership with the broader Colorado Springs community.”
CC’s Office of Sustainability website boasts a list of new sustainability goals, including reducing campus waste generation by 75% per user from 2008 levels through expanded education efforts, targeted waste campaigns and revised purchasing guidelines.
The college also aims to boost its waste diversion rate from 48% to 75% by 2030, supported by programs such as electronic waste collection, the CC Pantry Exchange and routine waste audits.
As of August 2024, the college is working with campus partners to move forward with a Request for Proposal for a Campus Energy Master Plan that would address areas such as energy efficiency and transitions from fossil fuels, enhancing resiliency to market volatility and risk from climate change and reducing residual greenhouse gas emissions.
The Princeton Review ranking publication aims to help prospective students identify schools that prioritize sustainable practices and environmental education.
Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review, said the guide reflects institutional progress and a growing student demand for higher education institutions to be environmentally conscious.
“Since we debuted our Green Guide in 2010, we’ve seen dramatic growth in the number of colleges committing to sustainability practices,” he said in a statement.
The Colorado College Office of Sustainability said it will continue to strive to make the institution more environmentally conscious.
“We welcome feedback, collaboration, and action to strengthen our sustainability efforts and impact,” Rohrbach said.