The Princeton Review has named the College of Charleston one of the 399 most environmentally responsible colleges in the world.

The ninth edition of The Princeton Review’s annual Guide to 399 Green Colleges included schools based on data from a 2017-18 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges around the globe concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The schools were selected based on their academic offerings, campus policies, initiatives, activities and career preparation for students. Most of the 399 schools in this edition are in the U.S. Thirteen are in Canada. One is in Egypt and one is in Greece.

According to The Princeton Review, “the College of Charleston has distinguished itself as a committed leader of sustainability efforts. The College’s Office of Sustainability acts as the hub for research, teaching, and operational management of sustainability. Here, they are working to cultivate a sense of connection between people, culture, and place as the foundation for building a resilient and ultimately sustainable community.”

The Office of Sustainability’s initiatives include the installation of water-bottle refill stations around campus, localized food purchases for dining halls, bicycle ride-share programs and a garden apprenticeship program. In 2017 the College launched the Sustainability Literacy Institute, which focuses on building and promoting interactions between social, economic and environmental systems with the goal of creating change that makes the campus and community more sustainable.


Featured image: Students conduct a waste audit of campus last spring as part of Sustainability Week.