As we begin to think about college applications and our lives beyond high school, our minds tend to drift slightly from what kind of environmental impact we’re making on the world. But with deadlines for application creeping up on us, there’s no need to leave our environmental consciousness in the dust. Here are five colleges that won’t leave anybody feeling guilty.
Urban – Johns Hopkins University
Thinking about spending some time in the city? Think no further than Baltimore, MD! 50 percent of the Johns Hopkins’ food budget is spent on local and organic food, 95 percent of its school cleaning products are green-certified and 99 percent of its grounds are maintained organically. The school also offers education on environmentally friendly jobs and chooses ten freshmen each year to be “ECO-reps,” or students who set up sustainability-promoting activities each month.
Suburban – Ithaca College
If you’ve never heard the quip “Ithaca is gorges!” you’re probably either deaf or oblivious. But, you’ve probably never heard the phrase “Ithaca is the first college in the world to build two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified buildings on its campus!” The “gorges” campus also boasts an environmental studies degree and an environmental literacy requirement and 95 percent of its school cleaning products are also green-certified.
Rural – St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Not only does St. Mary’s have a famously beautiful campus, but it also happens to be startlingly environmentally friendly. Forty-five percent of its food budget is spent on local and organic food, 47 percent of its energy is derived from renewable resources, 80 percent of its grounds are maintained organically and 90 percent of its school cleaning products are green-certified. In addition to the college’s green stats, several of its buildings are LEED certified. Goodpaster Hall, SMCM’s first LEED Silver building, saves 300,000 gallons of water annually and “uses 30 to 40 percent less energy than a conventional building.” To top it all off, St. Mary’s is an Energy Star partner, meaning that it is a member of an international program that promotes high efficiency products and buildings, and has announced that all new construction on campus will be LEED certified.
Near – American University
Aren’t planning on traveling far? Why not tack “Environmentally Friendly” onto your long list of reasons why? Not only is AU right in our own backyard, but 32 percent of its food budget is spent on local and organic food, 26 percent of its energy comes from renewable resources, 75 percent of its grounds are maintained organically and 90 percent of its school cleaning products are green-certified. Whether it be in addition to homesickness reasons or a love of the nation’s capital, AU’s “green” standing is as good a reason as any to stay close to home.
Far – Seattle University
For those of us who want to go to college as far away as possible, have no fear. With a whopping 80 percent of Seattle University’s food budget spent on local and organic food, 80 percent of its school cleaning products green-certified and 100 percent of its grounds maintained organically, there’s less need to worry about the environmental effects of travel. It’s also notable that students who bring a reusable cup to order coffee and fountain drinks get a 20 percent discount and the 16 tons of kitchen food waste produced each year on campus is used to fertilize the grounds.
*Information found in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges.
