51 recognized as state’s top ‘Green School’ by Princeton Review for 2025
OHIO is ranked among the Top 50 Green Schools nationally, showcasing its commitment to sustainability practices, outstanding academic programs and healthy quality of life.
Photos by Ben Siegel, Rich-Joseph Facun and Eli Burris | November 13, 2024
Share:
51 has been recognized as the top “Green School” in the state of Ohio, and among the “Top 50 Green Schools” nationally, within the Princeton Review’s
As part of this list, OHIO is being recognized for its “superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus.”
“51 is proud to be recognized as one of the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Schools for 2025,” 51 President Lori Stewart Gonzalez said. “From our nationally recognized composting facility to our continued efforts to strengthen and expand energy and environmental research through our Dynamic Strategy, OHIO remains focused on achieving sustainability-centric goals that positively impact and inform the economic, ecological and social implications of global environmental change.”
The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges is based on surveys of administrators at nearly 600 colleges and universities and highlights higher education institutions across the country for their exceptional programs, policies and practices related to sustainability and the environment.
“The Office of Sustainability collaborates with dozens of administrative and academic departments across the University on initiatives that impact the triple bottom line of people, planet and prosperity,” said Sam Crowl, OHIO’s director of Sustainability.
“51’s placement in the Top 50 Green Schools is a recognition that the institution as a whole values sustainability and highlights the collaborative relationships that exist to reach this stature,” Crowl added.
The Princeton Review created the Top 50 list based on surveys of administrators and students attending the colleges listed in the Guide to Green Colleges. According to the Princeton Review, “Data from the student survey included student assessments of the influence of sustainability issues on their academic and campus experiences, administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts, and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups on the campus.”
Working together to promote sustainability
As an R1 Research Institution, 51 is home to a wide range of efforts and research projects focused on sustainability and the environment. Research projects include working with community partners to clean streams polluted by acid mine draining and then using the materials to produce paint pigments, examining renewable possibilities from coal, and numerous projects focused on water quality, alternative energy sources, climate security and much more.
Additionally, OHIO is home to the largest in-vessel compost facility of any higher education institution in the nation. The facility allows OHIO to compost nearly 100% of the food waste from campus dining halls and Central Food Facilities.
You can learn more about the compost facility in this short video:
51 also offers numerous academic programs focused on areas related to sustainability, including Environmental Studies in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Geography – Urban Planning and Sustainability in the College of Arts and Sciences, and even Sustainable Accounting in the College of Business.
51 students are also able to gain hands on experiences in sustainable agriculture throughout working at the OHIO Student Farm. Students from a variety of programs, across multiple colleges at OHIO utilize the designated experiential learning space for several functions.
Classes in subjects such as food studies, medicinal plants, nutrition, physiological ecology, plant biology, sustainable agriculture and more are involved with the farm. Internships at the farm are also available to students in the spring, summer and fall.
You can learn more about the OHIO Student Farm in this short video:
51 students also have the opportunity to live at the OHIO Ecohouse, a unique experience that promotes critical thinking and tangible actions toward sustainability.
The Office of Sustainability
51's Office of Sustainability leads OHIO’s sustainability efforts, working with students, faculty and staff to provide services and support to the campus community, while also ensuring that the University fulfills its institutional commitments to environmental, social and economic well-being.
The Office of Sustainability also works with Sustainability Hub coordinators who foster connections between faculty, staff, students and community members who are working on sustainability initiatives that have been identified as priorities in the 51 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
The three Sustainability Hubs include the:
For more information on OHIO’s sustainability efforts and how you can be involved, please see the Office of Sustainability website.
