Want to attend an eco-friendly university? The Sierra Club says head west.
The most eco-conscientious colleges line the West Coast, according to Sierra magazine’s fifth-annual ranking of the nation’s “Coolest” schools. The University of California system pulled a coup with four schools in the top 10, but the top school overall was the University of Washington in Seattle.
Ranked fourth last year, UW took the top spot from second-ranked Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vt. UW was helped by the survey’s emphasis on where schools get their energy and rewarding schools that don’t rely on coal. Hydropower provides 90 percent of the energy at UW. Additionally, all buildings built after 2006 have earned at least LEED Certified Gold, all new appliance purchases are Energy-Star rated, and recycling is “ubiquitous,” says Avital Binshtock, lifestyle editor of Sierra.
A school’s commitment to the environment matters to students: A 2010 Princeton Review report said 64 percent of prospective college students take a school’s environmental stance into consideration when applying and attending.
Read the full article: The Sierra Club Ranks ‘Coolest’ Schools