Union has again been named one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges.”
Union is among 420 schools profiled in the 12th edition of the guide. The College has been included in each edition.
Schools were chosen based on data collected from 835 four-year colleges on their sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. Only schools with a Green Rating of 80 or higher were included in the guide. The company's editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points in the process of choosing schools for the guide.
Union achieved a Green Rating of 89. The College has garnered accolades for its Presidential Green Grants program, the U-Sustain committee and other initiatives.
The profiles in the guide include information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body statistics. They also include “Green Facts” about the schools with details on the availability of transportation alternatives and the percentage of the food budgets spent on local/organic.
“We strongly recommend Union to students who care about the environment and want to study and live at a green college," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief. “Union offers both excellent academics and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that is exemplary on many counts.”
Franek noted that college applicants and their parents are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability issues. Among the more than 11,000 college applicants surveyed earlier this year for the Review’s College Hopes & Worries Survey, 78 percent said that having information about a college's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.
A commitment to sustainability is an integral part of a Union education.
Last December, Lauren Stebbins ’21 was presented with the Student Sustainability Leadership Award as part of the 2020 State of New York Sustainability Conference.
In April, Stebbins and Bethany Costello ’22 were co-founders of the virtual Student Efforts to Advance Sustainability NY Conference. It welcomed more than 125 attendees from 40-plus schools. Costello also was named an Udall Scholar for her sustainability efforts.
In 2007, Union was among the first to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to reduce the College's carbon footprint and provide research and education about climate change.
The Review’s free guide is available by visiting the website.