Press release from Warren Wilson College:
Warren Wilson College is one of the top 50 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S., according to “The Princeton Review Guide to 361 Green Colleges.” Making the list at No. 36, the College is ranked higher than North Carolina’s only other top 50 institution — UNC Chapel Hill. Other schools making the list are Yale University, Columbia University, Middlebury College, Stanford University and Cornell University.
“We strongly recommend Warren Wilson College and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher.The Princeton Review calls Warren Wilson College “a unique place to learn about sustainable decision-making” and points to the popularity of its environmental studies major as proof. The College’s “commitment to using green building standards for all new construction and retrofits” with “12 percent of campus heating and cooling energy demand [being] met with geothermal and solar thermal resources” is also given high marks.“Warren Wilson College has long been a beacon for those who take seriously our responsibility to the planet and to future generations,” said Warren Wilson College President Steve Solnick. “Students and employees started our environmental efforts decades ago, and The Princeton Review’s continued acknowledgement is welcomed and appreciated.”Transportation alternatives, including a bicycle-sharing program, bike storage, and showers and lockers for bicycle commuters, were also noted in The Princeton Review’s “green profile” of Warren Wilson College. With a 61 percent waste diversion rate, the College is among the top 12 percent of the 361 profiled campuses when it comes to keeping materials out of landfills. The College’s composting operation, which handles “100 percent of all cafeteria food waste,” also earns praise from The Princeton Review.Colleges and universities are ranked based on The Princeton Review’s “Green Rating,” which is determined using data from the company’s 2015-16 survey of school administrators. The study focused on each school’s sustainability-related policies, practices and programs. The top 50 list combines aspects of the Green Rating with a questionnaire for students that attend each college. Students rate the influence of sustainability issues on their education and life on campus, administration and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts, and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups.In addition to its appearances in The Princeton Review’s “Top 50 Green Colleges” ranking, Warren Wilson College is No. 2 on College Magazine’s list of the “Top 10 Greenest Campuses” and among Sierra magazine’s top 50 “Cool Schools.” Buzzfeed calls Warren Wilson the “Most Beautiful College on Earth,” and Best College Review ranks the College Farm No. 1 out of 20.
To download a free copy of “The Princeton Review Guide to 361 Green Colleges,” visit http://princetonreview.com/green-guide.
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