2022 2022: For 11th year in a row, UMass Dartmouth named one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges

University celebrated in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition

Once again, UMass Dartmouth has been named one of the nation's most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition. The University has been named to the prestigious list for 11 straight years.

The Princeton Review chose the schools in the guide based on its survey of administrators at 713 colleges during the 2021-22 academic year and surveys of students attending the colleges. The company editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points to select the 455 schools chosen for the guide.

"UMass Dartmouth is honored to receive this important distinction from The Princeton Review that acknowledges our efforts to create a more sustainable campus," said Chancellor Mark A. Fuller. "I am proud of our faculty that research sustainable solutions like reducing ocean pollution in our plastics biodegradability lab, our staff who upgrade our campus infrastructure to incorporate best practices, and most importantly, our students that push for a more sustainable future."

Over the past few years, UMass Dartmouth has upgraded 22,000 outdated light bulbs to high-efficiency LED bulbs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3%. The University was recently recognized by the Baker/Polito Administration's "Leading by Example" program for developing one of the first Carbon Reduction Plans in the Commonwealth. This was the third time Massachusetts has recognized the campus for excellence in clean energy environmental efforts.

"We strongly recommend UMass Dartmouth to the increasing number of students who care about the environment and want their 'best-fit' college to also ideally be a green one," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief.

Franek noted that The Princeton Review has seen an increasing level of interest among students in attending green colleges. Of the more than 10,000 college applicants the company polled for its 2022 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 77% said having information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school.

The school profiles in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges report on the colleges' uses of renewable energy, their recycling and conservation programs, the availability of environmental studies in their academic offerings, and their career guidance for green jobs. The profiles also include information on the schools' admission requirements, cost, and financial aid.