SUNY Cortland listed on “Guide to Green Colleges”

10/26/2020 

SUNY Cortland’s commitment to sustainability has once again been recognized by a major national publication.

The Princeton Review named Cortland to its 2021 Guide to Green Colleges, which highlights the best universities in the country on issues such as use of renewable energy, recycling and conservation, availability of environmental studies in academics and career guidance for green jobs.

Cortland scores a 96 out of a possible 99 on The Princeton Review’s green rating scale. The rating takes 15 factors into account, including whether a college has a formal sustainability committee, offers sustainability-focused degrees, has a public greenhouse gas emission inventory plan and provides transportation alternatives.

The Princeton Review notes that college commitment to environmental issues plays a significant role in admissions. A 2020 survey of nearly 13,000 college-bound teens and their parents found that 66% factor sustainability into their decisions to apply or attend certain schools.

On a similar survey released in September, Cortland placed at No. 76 in the nation on Sierra magazine’s annual “Cool Schools” list, the highest-ranked SUNY comprehensive college. SUNY Cortland has been ranked among the top 100 colleges and universities on Sierra’s list each year since 2016.

SUNY Cortland has earned a reputation as being a national leader in sustainability through a variety of energy-saving measures implemented across campus.

The university meets its electricity needs by using 100% renewable sources. Cortland did so in 2013, becoming the first institution in the 64-campus SUNY system to go entirely renewable.

Four electric vehicle charging stations were installed on campus during the summer of 2020 to promote sustainable transportation for members of the university community.

Energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems have been installed in many of SUNY Cortland’s buildings. New buildings are constructed to meet prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and recent examples include residence halls Glass Tower Hall and Dragon Hall and the recreational and dining facility the Student Life Center. When Dragon Hall opened in 2014, it was the first residence hall in the SUNY system to earn a platinum LEED rating.

SUNY Cortland earned an elite gold designation from the Sustainability, Tracking and Assessment Rating System (STARS) in 2019.

Learn more about the university’s sustainability efforts on the Sustainability Office’s website.

A total of 416 colleges and universities were profiled by The Princeton Review in the 2021 Guide to Green Colleges. More than 25 survey data points were analyzed by editors to create the green rating scale. Colleges that scored 80 or higher were included in the guide.