Less than one week after unveiling new electric car charging stations on its campus, Niagara University was named one of the 375 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada by The Princeton Review. The education services company features NU in the 2017 edition of its free book, The Princeton Review Guide to 375 Green Colleges, which was published Sept. 19.
NU and the University at Buffalo are the only institutions from Western New York to appear on the list.
"We are extremely pleased to be recognized by The Princeton Review, as it fortifies Niagara University's ongoing campuswide commitment to sustainability," stated Dr. Mark Gallo, co-chair of Niagara's sustainability committee. "This honor is really an expression of the remarkable efforts that so many students, faculty, staff and administrators have put forth to create a more sustainable campus and it's great to see these efforts acknowledged."
The Princeton Review chose the schools for this seventh annual edition of its "green guide" based on data from the company's 2016-17 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools' commitments to the environment and sustainability.
"We strongly recommend Niagara University and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges," said Rob Franek, senior VP/publisher of The Princeton Review.
Franek noted the growing interest the company has seen among college-bound students in green colleges. "Among more than 10,000 teens and parents who participated in our 2017 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 64 percent told us that having information about a school's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the college."
The profiles in The Princeton Review's Guide to 375 Green Colleges provide information about each school's admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body stats. They also include "Green Facts" about the schools with details on the availability of transportation alternatives at the schools and the percentage of the school food budgets spent on local/organic food.
In the "Green Facts" section on NU, The Princeton Review cites the university's "LEED Gold-certified, 50,000-square-foot integrated science center and the Dwyer Ice Arena, which is equipped with 25-kilowatt roof solar panels. Bike racks, a new bike path and bike share program, a free shuttle bus, and a new electric vehicle for facilities services show NU's commitment to green transportation."
The Princeton Review first published this guide in 2010. It remains the only free, annually updated downloadable guide to green colleges. The company is also known for its dozens of categories of college rankings in its annual books, The Best 382 Colleges and Colleges That Pay You Back.
