Bentley University is ranked #34 in the nation in the new ‘Top 50 Green Colleges’ list featured in the 2016 Princeton Review Guide to 361 Green Colleges. The new ranking features colleges and universities who embody superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus.

“We are so please to have received this ranking from the Princeton Review,” says Amanda King, director of Sustainability and special advisor president Gloria Larson. “Bentley’s sustainability accomplishments are the result of campus-wide engagement and a strong commitment by all faculty, staff and students.”

The Princeton Review chose the schools for the seventh annual edition of its "green guide" based on data from the company's 2015-16 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools' commitments to the environment and sustainability. The guide cites Bentley’s public commitment to greenhouse gas reductions, renewable energy purchases, sustainability-focused degree programs and 50% waste diversion rate as reasons for its high ranking.

How Schools Were Chosen for the Guide

The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on "Green Rating" scores (from 60 to 99) that the company tallied in summer 2016 for 640 colleges using data from its 2015-16 survey of school administrators. The survey asked them to report on their school's sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. More than 25 data points were weighted in the assessment. Schools with Green Rating scores of 80 or higher made it into this guide.

How the Top 50 Green Colleges List Was Done

The Princeton Review developed the ranking list using data from its institutional survey for its Green Rating and its surveys of students attending the colleges. Ten data points from the institutional survey were factored into the assessment. Data from the student survey included student ratings of how sustainability issues influenced their education and life on campus; administration and student support for environmental awareness