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VWU Ranked Among Nation’s Top Green Colleges
Selected by Princeton Review based on culture of environmental responsibility and commitment to sustainability
University News | October 16, 2024
Virginia Wesleyan University is among the nation’s most environmentally-committed schools,” according to the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges. It chose each institution based on a survey it conducted in 2023-2024 of administrators at nearly 600 colleges and universities about their institutions' sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges about their "green" campus experiences. The school selections were based on more than 25 data points from the surveys. 
VWU has long been recognized for its commitment to the environment. It is one of 58 select colleges and universities nationwide, along with 102 other endowed institutions, that are members of the Intentional Endowments Network, the leading network for endowment fiduciaries investing for a thriving, sustainable economy.
It’s also one of a handful of colleges and universities to be designated as a Virginia Green Restaurant by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. To qualify, dining halls must minimize the use of disposable food service products, recycle grease, recycle and reduce waste, use water efficiently, and conserve energy. Additionally, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized VWU for its commitment to effective urban forest management, and the Professional Grounds Management Society has continuously saluted Virginia Wesleyan for exceptional maintenance of the University's 300-acre campus in the University and College Grounds category.
The Princeton Review is seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges. Of the nearly 8,000 college-bound students the company polled for its 2024 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 61% said having information about a college's commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school.
The profiles in the Guide report The Princeton Review’s Green Ratings of the schools which the company tallies on a scale of 60 to 99 with VWU receiving a Green Rating score of 89. The profiles also provide notes on the schools’ uses of renewable energy, their recycling and conservation programs, and the availability of environmental studies in their academic offerings.
The Princeton Review has published its Guide to Green Colleges annually since 2010. The education services company is also known for its other resources for college applicants including its dozens of other categories of college rankings, and its annual book, "The Best 390 Colleges," (2025 Edition published August 2024) which also recognizes Virginia Wesleyan University.