Environmental credentials, in addition to academic excellence and affordable tuition, are gaining traction in the collegiate selection process, according to The Princeton Review’s latest poll. Its Hopes and Worries survey sampled 7,445 college-bound students nationwide and found that 68 percent say commitment to sustainability impacts their college choice, based on campus environmental initiatives, how deeply the curriculum integrates sustainability and how well the colleges prepare students for green jobs.

The 16 institutions of higher learning considered most eco-savvy are: American University, Arizona State University, College of the Atlantic, Dickinson College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Northeastern University, Oregon State University, San Francisco State University, The State University of New York-Binghamton, University of California-Santa Cruz, The University of Maine, University of Washington, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Virginia Tech and Warren Wilson College.

“The best schools integrate sustainability across their community [in] how they manage their finances, academic offerings and operations. They don’t treat sustainability as an add-on or extra credit assignment,” says Rachel Gutter, director of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools. “But even the best still have… a long way to go, and there’s a moment for humility in that.”

Source: Fast Company