BEST VALUE GREEN COLLEGES METHODOLOGY

To start our search, we compiled a list of approximately 320 U.S. colleges and universities that adequately met some standard for environmental consciousness. We took this list from Princeton Review's selective "Green College Guide." We then collected information on seven different indicators, which we selected based on our goal to discover the 30 colleges most committed to both sustainability and affordability. After we collected all the raw data, we weighted each category based on its perceived level of importance in our ranking. This gave each school an adjusted number of points for each category, which we then tallied to assign the institutions final scores based on their total points.

We also gave each school a percentage score based on its performance out of a maximum possible 410 points. You will notice that even the #1 rated school didn't receive an "A" grade based on this methodology. That is not only understandable, but expected. In order to achieve even close to a 90% or above, a school would have to perform very highly across the board in all categories, plus offer rock-bottom tuition rates. Keeping that in mind, it's actually quite impressive that some universities received scores above 70%. It also serves as a good reminder that there is always room for improvement.

The seven categories we used were:

Net Price: 20%
We took data for schools' "net prices" from College Navigator, a government-owned website that reports statistics on American universities. We chose to use net price over tuition because the former option allows us to take into account a school's final affordability, after it awards its students scholarships, grants, etc.

STARS Rating: 10%
The Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is a subset of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The system ranks schools based on a number of factors, including academic courses, research, campus engagement, air and climate quality, building design, and much more. We assigned schools points based on the STARS award they received - Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, or "Reporter."

Number of "Green" Majors: 15%
For this category, we simply counted the number of programs available at each institution that would appeal to eco-conscious students. This could include (but was not limited to): Environmental Science, Bioethics, Environmental Design, Sustainable/Green Architecture, Food Science, Nutrition, Horticulture, Marine Biology, Urban Planning, Ecology, Public Health, Environmental Policy, Natural Resource Management, Parks and Recreation, Environmental Engineers, Nonprofit with Environmental Focus, and Environmental Studies.

Research Centers and Institutes with a Sustainable Focus 10%
Similar to the previous indicator, for this category we counted the number of research centers and programs at each school that would allow an undergraduate or graduate student to explore "green" areas of interest on campus. We weighted this category slightly less than the academic majors score because while all students have to explore academics, we understand that not everyone has an opportunity or interest in research.

"Green" Volunteer Opportunities: 15%
We felt it was important to explore the opportunities environmentally friendly students would have to volunteer in the community surrounding their campuses. Again, we quantified this ability by simply counting the number of opportunities available at each institution. This might include a trip abroad, a student organization advocating for climate change, the chance to work in an organic garden, and much more.

Outdoor/Nature-Focused Recreation Opportunities: 10%
We also considered that eco-conscious students might also have an interest in communing with nature and engaging in activities that would help them build an even greater respect for nature. "Green" students are likely to enjoy backpacking, hiking, climbing, kayaking, and other outdoor sports that bring them closer to the earth they work so hard to protect. Just as with the other categories, we counted the number of activities each school offers. However, we weighted this indicator as slightly less important because, while certainly an indication of "green" passion, it has a less direct impact on sustainability on college campuses.

Environmental Policies on Campus: 20%
For this category, we explored each university's true commitment to sustainability by ranking the environmental policies they enact on campus. Some schools have a clear-cut vision for environmental friendliness, creating strict goals for themselves to cut emissions or improve recycling efforts. Others enact "green" building practices and offer local, organic food options on campus. On the other hand, other schools make little to no effort to be eco-conscious, and/or their goals lack vision and clarity. We graded schools on a 1-5 scale according to their environmental policies, using this guide:

1. No information or no specific policies enacted
2. Declares intention to be environmentally friendly but any mention of policies/potential policies are vague and/or ineffective. Information is difficult to find.
3. Has made some attempts to improve sustainability practices, but these efforts are either lacking in quantity/quality or are too recent to understand their impact.
4. Clearly lists the initiatives in which they are engaged to protect the environment on campus, but the list isn't particularly impressive in its size and the school has not received accolades for its work in this area.
5. Clearly lists a number of specific initiatives the school has taken to conserve energy, reduce waste, cut down on emissions, etc. Has won an award or received some sort of acknowledgement for their environmental policies.

We weighted this category as 20% of the overall score because we felt that it perhaps provided the best indication of a school's overall commitment to going green.

To provide complete transparency, we have listed the entire final ranking below, including all 300+ institutions, their total points, and their percentage scores.