Ithaca Ranked a Top 10 “Green College” by Princeton Review

By David Maley, November 4, 2022

IC included on list of most environmentally responsible colleges.

The Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise achieved platinum LEED status, the highest designation for environmentally friendly buildings. (Photo Credit: Adam Baker)

Ithaca College has been named as one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges by The Princeton Review. The education services company ranked IC at #9 in its just-published “Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition.”

The Princeton Review chose the colleges for the guide based on a survey of administrators and students at 713 colleges concerning their institutions’ sustainability related policies, practices, and programs. Editors analyzed more than 25 data points from the survey to tally Green Rating scores for the schools on a scale of 60 to 99. Ithaca College was among just 31 schools to earn a Green Rating of 99, the highest possible score.

“We strongly recommend Ithaca College 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. “Ithaca College demonstrates an exemplary commitment to sustainability and to green practices — and it offers excellent academic programs.”

In 2016, Ithaca College began receiving the equivalent of 10 percent of its annual electricity needs from a new 2.9 megawatt solar array.

The school profiles in the guide include information 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.

Scott Doyle ’98, director of energy management and sustainability, says that the college’s outstanding ranking is thanks to the legacy of diverse sustainability actions on South Hill taken by both past and current students, faculty, and staff.

“These actions have come in the form of policies, programs, and practices profiled in our regularly updated Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report,” said Doyle. “This recognition is also thanks to positive student responses to the Princeton Review’s survey, indicating that our campus community is supportive of environmental awareness and conservation; that sustainability issues have influenced their education and life on campus; and that student environmental groups have an active presence and have a tremendous impact on campus life.”

The college is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and is on track to meet that goal early. The Peggy Ryan Williams Center, Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, Athletics and Events Center, and Classroom Link corridor have all received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications. In 2020, the college was ranked #8 on the Environment America Research & Policy Center’s “America’s Top Colleges for Renewable Energy” report for obtaining 109% of its energy from renewable sources.

Ithaca College was also included in this year’s edition of The Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges” guide, ranking at #2 for Best College Newspaper, #2 Best College Theater, #3 Best College Radio Station, and #20 for Green Matters: Everyone Cares about Conservation.