UNE featured in Princeton Review’s 2021 Guide to Green Colleges

The University of New England is one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company known for its college rankings, books, and test preparation and tutoring services features UNE in its annual book “Guide to Green Colleges: 2021 Edition,” which was published on Oct. 20. This year’s edition profiles 416 four-year colleges and universities chosen for their deep commitments to the environment and sustainability.

This is the fourth year UNE has been named a top green college by The Princeton Review.

The rankings were decided based on institutional sustainability related policies, practices, and programs; healthy and sustainable campus qualities of life; and student surveys on topics ranging from academic offerings and campus initiatives to career preparation for sustainability focused jobs.

Scott Steinberg, M.B.A., vice president of University Admissions, said a college or university’s track record on sustainability issues is often an important factor among prospective students.

"How ‘green’ colleges are matters, consistently, to prospective students and their parents,” Steinberg stated. “UNE demonstrates its commitment to environmental issues through our strategic planning, programs, facilities, and initiatives. It is very gratifying to have UNE’s work in sustainability continue to be nationally recognized.”

According to The Princeton Review, 66% of college-bound teens and their parents said having information about a college or university’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school.

In its profile on UNE, The Princeton Review cites the University’s sustainability focused degrees, bike and car sharing programs, and local food purchasing, among others, as desirable green qualities. The company ultimately granted the University a “green rating” of 93 out of 99 possible points for 2021.

"Our students take a lot of pride in our sustainability accomplishments and initiatives, demonstrated by their involvement in a number of student clubs and university-wide councils, and their advocacy for continued improvement,” said Alethea Cariddi, M.S.Ed., assistant director of Sustainability at UNE. They really are at the heart of what drives us.”