To be at the top of the green colleges list for the ninth consecutive year, it takes steps such as offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in human ecology—exclusively—and striving to become fossil-fuel free. That greenest of institutions, according to the Princeton Review, is the College of the Atlantic in Maine.
The College of the Atlantic has long-established green credentials: In 2007, it became the first college to achieve carbon-neutrality in the U.S. Leaders there also intend to free the school of fossil fuels by 2030.
“We are seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review.
More from UB: College closures are surging. Can institutions pause the plummet?
At No. 2 on the Top 50 Green Colleges list is American University in Washington, D.C., which is also carbon-neutral. California’s Pitzer College, at No. 3, is home to the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability.
“We have also seen dramatic growth in the number of colleges committing to sustainability practices—from sourcing food locally and constructing LEED-certified buildings to making commitments to becoming fossil fuel-free,” Franek added.
To help students and families find the most environmentally-friendly schools, the Princeton Review also released its 2025 Guide to Green Colleges. Collectively, 28% of the colleges and universities in the guide derive their energy from clean and renewable sources. Nearly all of the schools offer a sustainability focused undergraduate major or degree.
Top 50 green colleges:
- College of the Atlantic (ME)
- American University (D.C.)
- Pitzer College (CA)
- State University of New York—College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Emory University (GA)
- Williams College (MA)
- University of North Carolina at Asheville
- University of Vermont
- Colorado State University
- Dickinson College (PA)
- Colby College (ME)
- Loyola University—Chicago (IL)
- University of Miami (FL)
- Bennington College (VT)
- New York University
- University of California—Irvine
- Lewis & Clark College (OR)
- Skidmore College (NY)
- Randolph College (VA)
- Bates College (ME)
- Luther College (IA)
- Arizona State University
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
- Lehigh University (PA)
- University of Massachusetts—Amherst
- University of Connecticut
- Grand Valley State University (MI)
- University of California—Santa Cruz
- Salisbury University (MD)
- University of California—Merced
- Vanderbilt University (TN)
- Muhlenberg College (PA)
- University of California—Riverside
- Bucknell University (PA)
- Lafayette College (PA)
- University of Richmond (VA)
- Northeastern University (MA)
- University of New Hampshire
- Iowa State University
- Bentley University (MA)
- Ithaca College (NY)
- San Diego State University
- Princeton University (NJ)
- The University of the South (TN)
- The University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
- Washington State University
- University of Maine
- Ohio University—Athens
- Macalester College (MN)
- Southwestern University (TX)
