Niagara University is again one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review®. The education services company features NU among the 416 colleges profiled in “The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2021 Edition.”
“We are pleased to be recognized for our sustainability efforts by The Princeton Review,” said Dr. Mark Gallo, co-chair of Niagara University’s sustainability committee. “From grassroot efforts like planting trees, to seeking funding to remove invasive species from the perimeter of the campus, Niagara University is taking steps to preserve the natural environment in which it is located and toward a more sustainable future.”
The Princeton Review chose the schools based on a survey of administrators at 695 colleges in 2019-20 about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The company's editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points in the process of choosing schools for the guide, which provides a comprehensive measure of factors that include whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable; how well a school is preparing students for employment in the clean-energy economy of the 21st century, as well as for citizenship in a world now defined by environmental concerns and opportunities; and how environmentally responsible a school's policies are.
The school profiles in "The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges" include "Green Facts" sections detailing such matters as the availability of transportation alternatives on campus and the percentage of the college food budget spent on local/organic food. The profiles also provide information about the schools' admission requirements, cost, financial aid, and student body demographics.
In its profile on Niagara University, The Princeton Review cites the “LEED Gold-certified, 50,000-square-foot integrated science center and the Dwyer Ice Arena, which is equipped with 25-kilowatt roof solar panels.” It also notes NU’s commitment to green transportation, its policies to use only green cleaning products and recycled paper, and the fact that 98% of NU’s electricity is purchased from a hydroelectric generator.
"We strongly recommend Niagara University to students who want to study and live at a green college," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief. "Each and every one of the outstanding colleges in this edition of our guide offers both excellent academics and exemplary evidence of environmental commitment."
Franek noted that The Princeton Review has seen a high level of interest among college applicants and their parents in colleges with green practices, programs, and offerings. Sixty-six percent of the 12,845 respondents (college-bound teens and parents) to The Princeton Review's 2020 College Hopes & Worries Survey said that having information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their (or their child's) decision to apply to or attend a school. A report on the survey findings is downloadable at www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.
The Princeton Review has published its annual "Guide to Green Colleges" since 2010. The company is also known for its dozens of categories of annual college rankings, its books, including "The Best 386 Colleges" and "The Best Value Colleges," and its many other education services.
The guide, which was released on Oct. 20, 2020, is accessible for free at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.
How Schools Were Chosen for the Guide
The Princeton Review chose the 416 colleges based on its survey of administrators at 695 colleges in 2019–20 concerning their institutions' sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. Survey topics ranged from academic offerings and campus initiatives to career preparation for "green" jobs.
More than 25 survey data points were analyzed by The Princeton Review editors to tally Green Rating scores for the schools on a scale of 60 to 99. Colleges that earned a Green Rating of 80 or higher made it into the guide. Of the 416 schools in the 2021 edition, 393 are in the U.S., 22 are in Canada, and one is in Greece. The 416 schools are listed alphabetically in the guide and not ranked overall from 1 to 416. Colleges that earned a Green Rating of 99 made it onto The Princeton Review's earlier (August 2020) reported Green Honor Roll, as well as this guide. The Green Rating scores appear in the profiles of the schools in the guide on The Princeton Review website and in profiles of the schools in the 2021 editions of The Princeton Review books, "The Best 386 Colleges" (published August 2020) and "The Complete Book of Colleges" (published July 2020).
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. The company’s Tutor.com brand is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 19 million one-to-one tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com and the company's Media Center. Follow the company on Twitter (@ThePrincetonRev) and Instagram (@theprincetonreview ).