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Top Colleges for Sustainability, 2019

By  Chronicle Staff
September 1, 2019

The colleges that scored highest in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index included 15 with full-time-equivalent enrollment of less than 5,000 and nine with full-time-equivalent enrollment of 20,000 or more in 2016-17. The index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognizes top-performing colleges in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability and over all. A sampling of seven of those subcategories are included in the table below. The association’s report on the index highlights such environmental efforts as Luther College’s program to encourage faculty and staff members to learn about and eat healthful fruits and vegetables, and California State University at Northridge’s sustainably designed Sustainability Center.

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The colleges that scored highest in the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index included 15 with full-time-equivalent enrollment of less than 5,000 and nine with full-time-equivalent enrollment of 20,000 or more in 2016-17. The index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognizes top-performing colleges in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability and over all. A sampling of seven of those subcategories are included in the table below. The association’s report on the index highlights such environmental efforts as Luther College’s program to encourage faculty and staff members to learn about and eat healthful fruits and vegetables, and California State University at Northridge’s sustainably designed Sustainability Center.

Doctoral institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Stanford U. 88.0% 95.5% 94.4% 97.6% 94.3% 46.6% 73.7% 45.9%
2. U. of California at Irvine 86.8% 94.1% 100.0% 91.6% 90.0% 63.3% 44.9% 37.3%
3. U. of New Hampshire 86.0% 96.5% 100.0% 96.4% 92.9% 47.9% 69.7% 30.9%
4. Colorado State U. at Fort Collins 85.6% 94.4% 100.0% 98.8% 97.6% 53.0% 31.2% 36.6%
5. U. of Connecticut 84.4% 89.2% 100.0% 98.8% 95.6% 45.5% 36.4% 70.6%
6. U. of California at Merced 83.8% 88.8% 100.0% 91.7% 84.8% 64.6% 53.4% 34.3%
7. Laval U. (Quebec) 82.5% 84.3% 100.0% 93.7% 80.3% 40.6% 38.2% 25.0%
8. Arizona State U. 82.1% 83.8% 99.6% 98.8% 94.2% 43.6% 62.6% 34.9%
9. State U. of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 81.7% 95.0% 100.0% 74.8% 96.2% 28.8% 50.8% 38.9%
10. U. of Calgary (Alberta) 80.4% 89.4% 100.0% 97.6% 91.5% 50.1% 32.0% 31.9%
Average score for 158 participating doctoral institutions 61.5% 62.2% 78.0% 71.8% 66.8% 35.5% 35.2% 28.5%

Master’s institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Thompson Rivers U. (British Columbia) 88.3% 94.3% 88.9% 99.3% 91.4% 40.0% 83.5% 36.9%
2. Chatham U. 81.3% 92.7% 87.1% 95.9% 79.0% 62.5% 51.6% 48.1%
3. Santa Clara U. 76.2% 88.3% 94.4% 92.9% 85.0% 30.1% 55.2% 37.6%
4. Seattle U. 75.6% 97.2% 79.6% 71.0% 93.8% 56.3% 36.7% 25.0%
5. California State U. at Northridge 74.3% 80.2% 94.4% 86.0% 45.0% 54.3% 59.3% 40.8%
6. U. of Colorado at Colorado Springs 74.3% 80.1% 88.5% 66.4% 84.4% 56.3% 66.4% 29.1%
7. California State U. at Chico 73.4% 90.7% 71.9% 77.0% 72.6% 34.9% 31.6% 50.3%
8. Bentley U. 72.6% 75.8% 88.6% 89.7% 75.9% 12.5% 50.3% 14.3%
9. California State U. at Sacramento 72.2% 79.2% 88.9% 100.0% 68.7% 59.4% 21.5% 16.9%
10. Florida Gulf Coast U. 72.1% 93.2% 99.3% 94.0% 78.4% 36.0% 52.2% 26.4%
Average score for 78 participating master’s institutions 55.2% 58.2% 63.3% 68.3% 56.7% 32.8% 33.7% 27.3%

Baccalaureate institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Colby College 83.2% 89.9% 85.2% 98.8% 94.3% 50.5% 62.2% 48.1%
2. Dickinson College 81.4% 94.1% 100.0% 98.8% 89.3% 48.1% 56.6% 31.4%
3. Sterling College 78.3% 94.6% 93.8% 92.9% 89.8% 10.8% 62.9% 87.3%
4. Middlebury College 77.6% 74.5% 93.8% 75.0% 84.7% 35.1% 41.7% 29.7%
5. College of the Atlantic 73.3% 95.0% 88.9% 78.6% 67.8% 33.4% 65.3% 52.1%
6. Oberlin College 73.1% 65.9% 66.9% 85.0% 85.0% 55.4% 54.5% 51.9%
7. U. of Minnesota at Morris 73.0% 83.2% 94.7% 91.7% 78.9% 56.3% 38.7% 20.4%
8. Colgate U. 72.2% 75.4% 77.8% 80.1% 83.1% 42.9% 46.4% 52.0%
9. Luther College 72.2% 91.9% 88.9% 83.3% 64.3% 28.5% 43.4% 34.3%
10. Furman U. 71.7% 89.1% 100.0% 86.3% 78.8% 28.1% 59.0% 42.8%
Average score for 78 participating baccalaureate institutions 57.4% 60.5% 71.5% 68.6% 64.7% 26.6% 40.1% 31.1%

Associate institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Nova Scotia Community College 73.2% 79.3% 75.0% 86.6% 76.2% 62.3% 39.5% 15.6%
2. Mohawk College (Ontario) 68.0% 70.1% 83.3% 84.5% 73.2% 33.1% 27.5% 59.0%
3. Portland Community College (Ore.) 62.0% 56.1% — 91.7% 43.4% 55.3% 57.2% 25.0%
4. North Seattle College 60.0% 61.9% — 71.4% 50.7% 43.8% 40.0% 18.8%
5. Fleming College (Ontario) 56.2% 77.0% — 57.1% 72.2% 6.3% 33.7% 27.3%
6. Delta College (Mich.) 54.9% 37.3% — 78.6% 60.7% 40.0% 32.1% 20.6%
7. College of Lake County (Ill.) 52.2% 69.4% — 63.6% 61.6% 38.5% 30.8% 25.0%
8. Western Technical College (Wis.) 52.1% 49.8% — 47.3% 58.4% 52.5% 52.1% 20.6%
9. Niagara College Canada (Ontario) 50.5% 59.1% 71.8% 85.0% 40.9% 0.0% 8.5% 0.0%
10. Johnson County Community College (Kan.) 49.0% 58.5% 27.8% 67.4% 50.9% 38.5% 44.9% 23.5%
Average score for 25 participating associate institutions 46.8% 47.8% 58.1% 53.6% 48.1% 31.1% 32.1% 15.7%
Average scores for 297 U.S. institutions 57.7% 59.6% 71.0% 68.4% 62.9% 32.9% 36.1% 27.7%

Note: Institutions’ performance was measured by the association’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, known as Stars. The 339 colleges and universities considered for the rankings submitted a valid Stars Version 2.1 or 2.0 report between March 2, 2016, and March 1, 2019. Only the most recent reports were considered for institutions that submitted multiple reports during that period. Of the 339 institutions, 297 were in the United States, 35 in Canada, and seven in other countries. The percentages for selected subcategories like curriculum and campus engagement are based on the number of points earned versus the number available in that subcategory. Overall scores were rounded, but institutions were ranked before rounding. Not all 297 U.S. institutions were measured in each subcategory; colleges without dining facilities, for instance, could opt out of “food and dining.” A dash indicates that an institution was not measured in a particular nonapplicable subcategory. Institutions that are no longer in operation are not included on the list. A full report on the rankings can be found here. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: 2019 Sustainable Campus Index, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

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A version of this article appeared in the September 6, 2019, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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