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Top-Performing Institutions for Sustainability, 2017

By Chronicle Staff November 6, 2017

The three baccalaureate colleges that scored highest in the 2017 Sustainable Campus Index were all in Vermont. The index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability and over all. The association’s report on the index highlights such environmental efforts as the identification of sustainability-related courses in Humboldt State University’s course catalog and the University of Cincinnati’s construction of a groundwater observatory.

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The three baccalaureate colleges that scored highest in the 2017 Sustainable Campus Index were all in Vermont. The index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in 17 distinct aspects of sustainability and over all. The association’s report on the index highlights such environmental efforts as the identification of sustainability-related courses in Humboldt State University’s course catalog and the University of Cincinnati’s construction of a groundwater observatory.

Doctoral institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Stanford U. 85.7 86.9% 94.4% 97.6% 94.3% 47.4% 64.7% 47.3%
2. Colorado State U. 85.6 94.4% 100.0% 98.8% 97.6% 53.0% 31.2% 36.6%
3. Laval U. (Quebec) 82.5 84.3% 100.0% 93.7% 80.3% 40.6% 38.2% 25.0%
4. U. of Connecticut 81.3 81.1% 100.0% 98.8% 95.5% 45.1% 36.7% 53.5%
5. Arizona State U. 81.1 83.8% 94.0% 95.2% 94.4% 39.4% 53.4% 35.3%
6. U. of Washington 77.4 77.0% 79.7% 100.0% 71.1% 46.8% 4.0% 70.3%
7. U. of Victoria (British Columbia) 76.8 75.0% 88.6% 94.1% 65.5% 38.8% 33.8% 56.5%
8. U. of Calgary (Alberta) 76.2 74.1% 100.0% 96.4% 82.0% 56.3% 34.1% 36.4%
9. American U. 75.4 62.9% 88.4% 90.3% 86.2% 59.4% 58.7% 28.3%
10. U. of British Columbia 75.0 62.7% 82.3% 100.0% 80.6% 48.8% 12.8% 58.7%
Average scores for all 131 participating doctoral institutions 59.4 58.9% 76.1% 74.0% 67.3% 34.8% 26.5% 28.7%

Master’s institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Appalachian State U. 77.2 95.6% 88.9% 100.0% 76.2% 59.4% 30.5% 22.0%
2. Santa Clara U. 76.2 88.3% 94.4% 92.9% 85.0% 30.1% 55.2% 37.6%
3. Chatham U. 75.8 84.2% 88.9% 96.3% 86.1% 36.0% 41.4% 51.3%
4. Bentley U. 72.6 75.8% 88.6% 89.7% 75.9% 12.5% 50.3% 14.3%
5. California State U. at Sacramento 72.2 79.2% 88.9% 100.0% 68.7% 59.4% 21.5% 16.9%
6. Thompson Rivers U. (British Columbia) 71.6 86.2% 86.6% 65.9% 77.9% 43.9% 20.6% 29.1%
7. Grand Valley State U. 69.5 58.2% 84.4% 92.9% 67.8% 39.6% 34.3% 26.3%
8. Seattle U. 69.4 70.9% 80.8% 76.5% 83.5% 29.5% 32.4% 29.6%
9. Belmont U. 69.4 79.9% 94.4% 100.0% 64.0% 52.3% 46.6% 36.3%
10. California State U. at Northridge 69.3 79.4% 59.7% 99.5% 54.1% 40.6% 45.6% 30.3%
10. Humboldt State U. 69.3 77.9% 67.9% 75.9% 71.9% 27.6% 23.9% 33.0%
Average scores for all 74 participating master’s institutions 53.2 57.0% 62.2% 69.1% 56.5% 32.1% 26.4% 26.3%

Baccalaureate institutions

RankInstitutionOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
1. Sterling College 78.3 94.6% 93.8% 92.9% 89.8% 10.8% 62.9% 87.3%
2. Middlebury College 77.6 74.5% 93.8% 75.0% 84.7% 35.1% 41.7% 29.7%
3. Green Mountain College 76.4 99.5% 83.3% 80.2% 58.3% 39.8% 40.2% 41.3%
4. Colby College 75.7 78.7% 88.9% 100.0% 84.0% 24.9% 50.8% 25.7%
5. Dickinson College 74.2 76.5% 98.4% 85.0% 78.0% 57.9% 36.4% 35.6%
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 70.8 68.2% 96.3% 100.0% 65.5% 60.3% 32.8% 25.1%
8. Furman U. 69.3 88.2% 88.9% 100.0% 79.2% 25.9% 57.7% 25.7%
9. Lewis & Clark College 68.6 62.6% 62.1% 56.6% 88.3% 43.5% 60.5% 43.5%
10. Pomona College 68.3 63.3% 76.9% 88.2% 70.3% 53.9% 11.9% 28.6%
Average scores for all 74 participating baccalaureate institutions 55.9 57.9% 68.2% 70.9% 64.1% 27.3% 36.0% 29.3%

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. Kankakee Community College (Ill.) 67.9 77.2% — 99.1% 71.4% 30.6% 33.4% 28.6%
3. Portland Community College (Ore.) 62.0 56.1% — 91.7% 43.4% 55.3% 57.2% 25.0%
4. Mohawk College (Ontario) 57.6 57.9% 93.8% 75.0% 40.9% 43.5% 26.1% 14.3%
5. Fleming College (Ontario) 56.2 77.0% — 57.1% 72.2% 6.3% 33.7% 27.3%
6. Central Carolina Community College (N.C.) 54.1 62.7% — 47.2% 58.3% 38.8% 26.9% 60.0%
7. Raritan Valley Community College (N.J.) 52.4 44.0% — 64.4% 50.6% 26.3% 34.0% 23.3%
8. College of Lake County (Ill.) 52.2 69.4% — 63.6% 61.6% 38.5% 30.8% 25.0%
9. Western Technical College (Wis.) 52.1 49.8% — 47.3% 58.4% 52.5% 52.1% 20.6%
10. Niagara College Canada (Ontario) 50.5 59.1% 71.8% 85.0% 40.9% 0.0% 8.5% 0.0%
Average scores for all 24 participating associate institutions 46.9 51.1% 72.1% 54.9% 49.1% 30.2% 28.1% 19.6%

All U.S. institutions

CategoryOverall scoreCurriculumResearch Campus engagementPublic engagementBuildings EnergyFood and dining
Average scores for 267 U.S. institutions
56.3 57.5% 70.4% 70.8% 63.1% 32.2% 29.6% 27.3%

Note: Institutions’ performance was measured by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, known as Stars. The 303 colleges and universities considered for these rankings submitted a valid Stars Version 2 report between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2017. Of those institutions, 267 were in the United States, 32 in Canada, and four in other countries. Institutions’ overall score is a number out of 100. The percentages for subcategories are based on the number of points earned versus the number available in that subcategory. Scores were rounded, but institutions were ranked before rounding. Not all 267 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 subcategory. A full report on the rankings can be viewed on the association’s website. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: 2017 Sustainable Campus Index, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

A version of this article appeared in the November 10, 2017, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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