Most Sustainable Colleges in the U.S. and Canada
May 3, 2009 by Jennifer
If you’ve got kids who are interested in finding a green college or you’re considering heading back to school, GreenReportCard.org will come in handy. GreenReportCard.org rates hundreds of U.S. and Canadian schools on their sustainability and then provide consumers with in-depth sustainability profiles to browse.
The site rates colleges on issues like…
- Administration and policy.
- Climate change impact and energy use.
- Food and recycling issues.
- Green building aspects.
- Student involvement when it comes to green issues.
- Transportation.
- And more.
I looked up one of the colleges I attended, the University of New Mexico (UNM), and it got a grade of B in 2009, higher than in 2008, which is good, but an A of course would be better. The guide averages scores so you can look for the issues that matter most to you. For example UNM got an A for climate change and energy issues for actions like purchasing renewable energy credits and because they have a great sustainability council with a carbon neutral task force that implements strategies for reducing carbon emissions from campus buildings and transportation. On the other hand they got a C for building issues for things like not reaching LEED goals and not using energy saving light bulbs in the buildings.
THE WORST & BEST GREEN COLLEGES:
Some of the best sustainable colleges overall include; Oberlin College, Columbia University, University of Colorado, University of Vermont, and more. 15 schools in all tied for top scores (A-). Four colleges tied for the worst possible score (F) – Bryant University, Hillsdale College, Brigham Young University, and Howard University.
GreenReportCard.org allows you to search for schools by name, location, and other features or you can do side-by-side comparisons. The site is easy to use and a great way to choose a sustainable education experience. Check out GreenReportCard.org today if you’re choosing a college soon.
Or just go check out your old college then come back here and tell me how they rated.
[image via stock.xchng]
I’m a little saddened that none of the schools I went to are listed.
Where did you go? I’m upset that they don’t cover community colleges, since so many start out at community college, and that would be a good place to start change actions that might transfer over to university. Now I’m wondering if there is a green guide for CC. Hmmm.