For the 10th consecutive year, the College of the Holy Cross has been named to the Princeton Review’s "Guide to Green Colleges: 2019," receiving a "Green Rating" score of 89 out of 99.
The Princeton Review tallied this ranking list based on data from a survey of college administrators about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability, as well as surveys of students attending the colleges. Data from the student survey included student ratings of three factors: the influence of sustainability issues on their education and life on campus; administration and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups.
The Princeton Review highlighted Holy Cross' efforts to become carbon neutral by the year 2040 as an exemplary commitment to sustainability. As announced last month, the College has been able to reduce its carbon emissions by 46.8 percent between 2007 and 2017, and is on track to be completely carbon neutral by 2040. Holy Cross is also in the process of hiring its very first Director of Sustainability, collaborating with faculty, staff, students, administrators and campus committees to advance leadership in campus sustainability and environmental education.
Additionally, this fall, with the support from the Presidential Task Force on the Environment and thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, as well as a rebate from National Grid, the College was able to install electric vehicle charging stations in its parking garage.
"We salute — and strongly recommend — the College of the Holy Cross to the many environmentally-minded students who want to study and live at a green college," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor-in-chief.
Franek noted that college applicants and their parents are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability issues. Among the 11,900 teens and parents The Princeton Review surveyed earlier this year for its "2019 College Hopes & Worries Survey," 64 percent said that having information about a college's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.
"The campus community seems to have reached a tipping point with the rapid increase in the number of campus members becoming engaged in the sustainability efforts," said John Cannon, director of facilities operations. "I expect that we will make even greater advances toward carbon neutrality during the next few years."
Related Information:
- View Princeton Review's "Guide to Green Colleges: 2019"
- Learn more about the College’s sustainability efforts
- Read how "Holy Cross Reduces Carbon Emissions By Nearly Half"
- Learn more about what makes Holy Cross special on our Points of Pride page
