How can my institution be included in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges?

What do I need to do for my institution to be included?

Any college and university (including two-year and technical colleges) located anywhere in the world is eligible for inclusion in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges.  Data from your institution’s most recent STARS report will be shared with Princeton Review if it has:

1. Opted into data sharing – You can review your institution’s status in the Data Settings section of the Reporting Tool. To opt -in, check the box next to The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and click the “Save” button.
2. A STARS report that was submitted prior to 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time on March 7, 2025 and has a valid through date of later than March 7, 2025 – Any report that meets these conditions is acceptable, including those with a Reporter designation, a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rating, or a provisional rating that is still in Collaborative Review and Revision mode (i.e., a report has been submitted and is pending publication while review results are being addressed).

Because The Princeton Review accepts data with a Reporter designation, an institution can be considered for inclusion in its Guide to Green Colleges at no cost by participating in STARS using the free basic access option. If you choose to share data as a Reporter, note that you only need to complete the credits requested by The Princeton Review. 

Alternatively, data can be submitted directly through The Princeton Review’s own Review Data Set Form F: Student Life. The Princeton Review distributes this form annually to a designated data contact at each institution. 

If you have any questions about reporting directly to The Princeton Review, including about the identity of the designated data contact for your institution, please contact surveysupport@review.com.

How will our data be shared?

Once the March 7, 2025 deadline has passed, AASHE will generate spreadsheets that include the data requested by The Princeton Review from each participating institution’s most recent eligible STARS report. The spreadsheets will then be shared with The Princeton Review electronically.

How will our data be used?

The Princeton Review uses its own scoring methodologies to inform its rankings, as described below. AASHE provides data to The Princeton Review as a service to STARS participants who wish to be included in its publications, but we do not necessarily endorse its ranking or the underlying methodology. We do regularly provide feedback to The Princeton Review and advocate for changes to address member concerns. We welcome comments or suggestions at stars@aashe.org.

The Princeton Review’s Green Rating is derived from:

• Institutional data about sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs collected from a subset of STARS credits or via a survey (Review Data Set Form F: Student Life) it distributes to colleges and universities independently.
• Student perception data from surveys of students attending each institution. This includes student ratings of how sustainability issues influenced their education and life on campus; administration and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups.

As with other rankings published by The Princeton Review, the exact methodology for determining an institution’s Green Rating is proprietary.

If your institution is interested in being considered for The Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Ranking, you will need to work with them directly to survey your students. A survey is required every third academic year. Please reach out to surveysupport@review.com to schedule your survey or check on your school’s student survey status.