Rankings: The greenest college campuses, according to one list

For the 10th consecutive year, the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, is the most sustainable college in the country in terms of environmental responsibility and student health, according to the latest rankings from The Princeton Review.

The publication’s annual “Guide to Green Colleges” ranks participating four-year institutions’ commitment to environmental responsibility and student health. Schools assess their infrastructure, student use of public transportation, academic programming focused on environmental studies and a variety of other factors.

Students at each college also rate their institution’s conservation efforts.

College of the Atlantic achieved carbon neutrality in 2007 and intends to become a fossil-free campus by 2030. Lehigh University, which earned third place in the rankings, created a 10-year sustainability plan. One of the Pennsylvania university’s goals is to transition its fleet of campus vehicles—including buses—to renewable energy by 2030.

More on prospective students: A college degree is an afterthought among high schoolers

Prospective college students may be swayed to attend a college depending on its sustainability. A Princeton Review survey found that more than half of college applicants are influenced by an institution’s commitment to environmentally conscious practices.

“Since we debuted our Green Guide in 2010, we have seen dramatic growth in the number of colleges committing to sustainability practices—from constructing green-certified buildings to sourcing food locally,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief at The Princeton Review.

1. College of the Atlantic (Maine)
2. American University (Washington, D.C.)
3. Lehigh University (Penn.)
4. Loyola Marymount University (Calif.)
5. Bennington College (Vt.)
6. University of California, Santa Cruz
7. University of California, Merced
8. University of Cincinnati (Ohio)
9. University of Massachusetts—Amherst
10. Stephens Institute of Technology (N.J.)
11. University of Vermont
12. University of North Carolina at Asheville
13. Grand Valley State University (Mich.)
14. Randolph College (Va.)
15. Bates College (Maine)
16. State University of New York—Stony Brook
17. Bentley University (Mass.)
18. Macalester College (Minn.)
19. New York University (N.Y.)
20. University of California—Irvine
21. University of St. Thomas (Minn.)
22. Northeastern University (Mass.)
23. Dickinson College (Penn.)
24. Luther College (Iowa)
25. University of New Hampshire

Find the complete list of 50 institutions here.