St. Mary’s College Ranked 6th of Top 50 Green Colleges by The Princeton Review

(St. Mary’s City, Md.)  – St. Mary’s College of Maryland is ranked 6th in the Top 50 Green Colleges in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 375 Green Colleges, a listing of the most environmentally responsible colleges.

Colleges are chosen based on data from the guide’s 2016-17 survey of hundreds of four-year colleges concerning the schools’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. According to the guide, “When it comes to going green, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is all about practicing what they preach.”

The guide gives St. Mary’s College a “Green Rating” of 97 out of 99. Highlights include the 63 percent of energy consumption from renewable sources, the 115 percent of total electricity consumption through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), and a Climate Action Plan established by the College’s Sustainability Committee that will help it reach its campus-wide goal of becoming climate neutral.

The arboretum committee, LEED Silver buildings, and sustainable research opportunities in biology, economics, mathematics, and public policy, were also mentioned.

St. Mary’s College also took its environmental friendly responsibilities to a new level by adding an environmental studies major in 2016.

“We strongly recommend St. Mary’s College of Maryland and the other fine colleges in this guide to the many environmentally-minded students who seek to study and live at green colleges,” said The Princeton Review’s Robert Franek, senior VP-publisher.

Students are quoted in the guide as saying St. Mary’s College is like a small town where everyone knows one another. One student is quoted as saying, “The minute you step on campus you are a part of the family.”

The profiles in The Princeton Review’s Guide to 375 Green Colleges provide information about each school’s admission requirements, cost and financial aid, and student body stats. They also include “Green Facts” about the schools with details on the availability of transportation alternatives at the schools and the percentage of the school food budgets spent on local/organic food.