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Michigan State University is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.
For the second consecutive year, MSU is ranked on Princeton Review’s list of Top 50 Green Colleges. Positioned at No. 35 in the nation, MSU continues to be the only Big Ten school and the only Michigan school appearing in the top 50.
“MSU’s commitment to the environment is reflected not only in what we learn in the laboratory or field and teach in our classrooms, but also in how we operate,” said MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., M.D. “It’s nice to be recognized once again for how we support sustainability on a daily basis.”
Since its debut in the ranking last year, MSU has continued to expand and advance sustainability efforts consistent with its four pillars of success: campus, curriculum, community and culture. Recent MSU sustainability actions and achievements include:
“Our latest ranking reflects the passion and commitment of MSU’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and community in advocating for the planet and preparing the next generation of environmental leaders,” said Amy Butler, MSU director of sustainability. “Seeing MSU included prominently on this ranking reflects our commitment to sustainability and how it advances our mission as well as celebrates our accomplishments in building the roadmap to a global sustainable future.”
The ranking is based on data from an institutional survey of college administrators; the university’s Sustainability Tracking, Accounting and Reporting Assessment, known as AASHE STARS; and student surveys conducted by The Princeton Review.
“MSU is home to leading research and cutting-edge technologies in sustainability, award-winning programs that shepherd environmental stewardship and thousands of faculty, staff and students working to make a difference each day,” said Dianne Byrum, MSU Board of Trustees chairperson. “We know that we have the scope and scale to make a difference by reducing our carbon footprint at the same time we contribute global solutions through a wide range of research. Each day, we are contributing to sustainability globally and right here at home.”
The Top Green Colleges ranking appeared in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2021 Edition. The guide, which featured 416 schools out of 695 surveyed, is based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of four-year colleges about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The profiles in the guide present information on each school’s renewable energy, recycling and conservation programs; the availability of environmental studies in academic offerings; and career guidance for green jobs. The Princeton Review has seen a high level of interest among college applicants and their parents in colleges with green practices, programs and offerings. A total of 66% of 12,845 respondents (college-bound teens and parents) to the Princeton Review’s 2020 College Hopes & Worries Survey said that having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school.
For more information about “The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2021 Edition,” the top 50 list or the way rankings are determined, visit The Princeton Review’s website.
Join Spartans in Action by signing the Sustainability Pledge.