New Paltz lands on Princeton Review’s list of greenest colleges

SUNY New Paltz is one of the 361 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to Princeton Review’s 2016 Guide to Green Colleges.

This validation of New Paltz’s commitment to green practices and policies comes on the heels the College’s appearance on Princeton Review’s list of the best colleges in the northeast, where it was one of 13 SUNY colleges and universities (out of 64 campuses total) to make the grade.

Also this fall, New Paltz merited inclusion on a “Cool Schools” list published by Sierra Magazine, which similarly focused on the importance of sustainable and environmentally-responsible practices in higher education and campus facilities management.

“We strongly recommend SUNY New Paltz and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges,” said The Princeton Review’s Robert Franek, Senior VP-Publisher. “Among more than 10,000 teens and parents who participated in our 2016 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 61% told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the college.”

The Princeton Review’s methodology for this seventh annual edition of its Green Guide began with survey data collected from hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to sustainability and the environment.

Each institution was then assigned a “Green Rating” score from 60 to 99, which factored 25 data points including the survey data and reports of sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Schools that scored an 80 or higher on the scale were included in the list of top green colleges.

SUNY New Paltz scored highly not only for its environmentally-friendly management of campus buildings and utilities, but also for efforts by faculty and staff to support students interested in pursuing sustainability in their studies and their careers.

On Oct. 18, students can learn more about what academic programs can lead to careers that include the principles of sustainability at a Sustainability Majors and Minors Fair, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Honors Center.

To learn more about Sustainability at SUNY New Paltz, please visit the Office of Campus Sustainability online.