Besides great academics, an influential Greek scene and top-rated professors, there’s a new measure of prestige when it comes to rating college campuses — the green rating.
“A college’s environmental record influences whether or not today’s students will apply and matriculate at certain schools,” says Avital Binshtock, lifestyle editor for “Sierra” magazine.
The publication has run an annual “Cool Schools” survey for the past five years that is distributed to 900 higher education institutions nationwide. They’ve found that issues related to energy efficiency — where it comes from, how it’s used and whether it’s a subject taught throughout curriculums — really matter to today’s prospective college students.
“It’s a lifestyle issue. People want to live this ethic. Students want to go to fun parties, attend sports games and live in an environment that’s responsible to the earth,” says Binshtock. “This is an environmentally enlightened generation coming up. They’re seeking a place that matches their ethics.”
Colleges were judged on their ability to demonstrate an improvement in their eco-ethic across the study’s 10 categories, which include energy supply, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, financial investments, and a catch-all called “other initiatives.”
Of New York area schools, Cornell University fared best, coming in at number 18 on the list.
“Of their campus appliances, 80 percent were Energy Star rated, which is really high,” says Binshtock. They also have a program dedicated to monitoring patterns about their water consumption. The energy use is recorded and reviewed monthly, according to the editor.
Also, “About 22 percent of the food they serve in their dining halls is grown locally,” according to Binshtock.
The Ivy League school also scored a 10 out of 10 in the survey’s waste management category, since 690 tons of food scraps each year are composted from Cornell’s dining halls. Also, a “Dump and Run” campus-wide recycling program collects items students might otherwise throw away (20-25 tons per year). Items are resold and proceeds benefit four area non-profit organizations.
Another New York-based school, Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, scored points in immersive learning, or getting students out in to the field for environmental work.
For the full 2011 rankings, visit sierramagazine.com/coolschools.
Top 10 Green Colleges
1. University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
Every building completed since 2006 has earned LEED Gold.
2. Green Mountain College, Poultney, Vt.
The school gets roughly half of its energy from Central Vermont Cow Power, a utility that harnesses biogas from manure.
3. University of California, San Diego, Calif.
Solar panels shade the university’s Hopkin’s parking structure.
4. Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC.
The school uses their own compost in the college garden to grow more produce for the cafeteria.
5. Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.
The school provides 12,000 bike racks, miles of cycling lanes and free rides on bio-fueled shuttles.
6. University of California, Irvine, Calif.
It has a co-generation facility that produces electricity to meet most of the university’s needs.
7. University of California, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Most students here eschew dining trays and bottled water.
8. University of California, Davis, Los Angeles, Calif.
The campus’ new brewery, winery and food science lab helped earn them LEED certification.
9. Evergreen State College, Olympia, Wash.
Roughly 70 percent of the campus (700 acres) has been dedicated as undeveloped forest land.
10. Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.
The school uses biomass to keep warm during Vermont winters.