Princeton Review Names Dickinson College No. 4 'Top Green College'

Dickinson's new 3-megawatt solar array

Designed and built by Tesla, Dickinson’s new 3-megawatt solar array will generate more than 5 million kilowatts of electricity, about 30 percent of Dickinson’s electricity needs.

Top Green College

Rounding out a year full of industry accolades for leadership in sustainability education and sustainable campus operations, Dickinson has been ranked fourth on The Princeton Review’s annual list of “Top 50 Green Colleges,” which takes into account institutional commitment to sustainability based on academic offerings, campus policies, initiatives, activities and how colleges and universities are preparing students for employment in the clean-energy economy of the 21st century. The ranking also reflects sustainability as a core value of Dickinson’s useful education for the common good, which prepares students for citizenship in a world increasingly defined by environmental concerns and opportunities.

Dickinson recently ranked as the No. 1 Overall Top Performer among baccalaureate institutions in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) “Sustainable Campus Index 2018.” The college also earned a gold rating from AASHE’s STARS program. In August, Sierra magazine listed Dickinson as the No. 6 “Coolest School” for environmental sustainability. The college is also the No. 3 “Most Eco-Friendly College,” according to College Magazine, and it has a spot on The Princeton Review’s “Green Honor Roll.”

“Dickinson professors have made sustainability a part of coursework across the curriculum,” explains Neil Leary, director of Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education (CSE). “It is part of campus life, the volunteer work our students do in the community and the experiences they have on our study abroad program. The goal is giving our students skills to create a sustainable future.”

In a recent survey, 70 percent of Dickinson students reported they have gained skills related to sustainability that they can apply in their future professional work, and 75 percent say they have gained confidence in their abilities to create positive change in the world. Additionally, Dickinson completed construction this year of a 3-megawatt solar array and a new residence hall, which is registered with the certification goal of LEED Platinum, the highest certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

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Published November 1, 2018