Colorado State University Tops List as Greenest College Campus
Colleges all around the world are making conscious efforts to "go green," and part of this is by taking tremendous strides to improve the environmental friendliness of the campus. CSU is one example of a university that has done just this, and by doing so, they have landed themselves the top spot on LendEDU’s list of the 40 Greenest College Campuses.
Data from hundreds of colleges was collected to create the top 40 list and the rankings were based on a variety of different factors that make up a school's carbon footprint. This included things like having recycling programs, food sourcing, alternative methods of transportation, energy usage, and available classes pertaining to environmental literacy. Based on LendEDU’s list, Colorado State has taken the best and most effective initiatives in making the Fort Collins campus as green as can be.
On the official rankings, LendEDU had this to say about CSU:
CSU is the flagship institution of the Colorado State University System and the state’s only land-grant school. The school recently implemented a number of sustainability projects. Not long ago, the university began construction on a wind farm to help power campus energy, and much of the new student housing on campus is designed in accordance with national green building standards. On the academic side, the university counts 962 courses related to sustainability and devoted to the environment, carbon footprints, etc. in all eight departmental colleges. Among the accolades that the school has received for its sustainability efforts include the Postsecondary Sustainability Award from the U.S. Department of Education and the first institution in the world to achieve a Platinum STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) rating, as well as a top bike-friendly university from the League of American Bicyclists.
Other schools to make it into the top 10 include Colby College, University of South Florida, University of Wisconsin, Unity College, Stanford University, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Arizona State University, and Oregon State University. Way to go, Rams!