For the second year in a row, American University has ranked number two in the Top 50 Green Colleges list in The Princeton Review®’s annual Guide to Green Colleges. 

AU was cited particularly for having “an extraordinary record of green distinction,” including becoming carbon-neutral in 2018—two years ahead of our original 2020 target.

“Earning this recognition two years in a row reflects AU’s ongoing work to expand our sustainability impact. From the new Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance—which is on track to become AU’s first LEED Platinum building and includes the first use of geothermal energy on campus—to the new bird safe stickers on the Hall of Science, AU continues to seek out and implement new sustainability initiatives across campus,” said Megan Litke, Director of Sustainability.

“Our faculty continues to integrate sustainability into courses across campus, students are embarking on sustainability projects focused on campus, and staff are connecting with sustainability from their first day on campus thanks to the new orientation program. Earning the number two ranking reflects all of these efforts and more.”

The Princeton Review selected the 388 schools for the guide and tallied its Top 50 list based primarily on data from the company's surveys of administrators at the colleges in 2024–25. The 25-question survey requested information about each institution's sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges about their experiences at their schools, including administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts on the campus.

More than 25 survey data points were analyzed to tally Green Rating scores for the schools. Developed to provide a measure of a school's performance as an environmentally aware and prepared institution, the Green Ratings are reported on a scale of 60 to 99. (The Green Rating methodology is described here.) The 388 colleges chosen for the Guide earned Green Rating scores of 80 or higher.

The Guide to Green Colleges is a free online resource that The Princeton Review has published since 2010 for college applicants interested in attending schools that practice and promote environmental responsibility.

 AU’s Green Highlights

• 34.61% of AU’s energy comes from clean and renewable sources.
• 40% of AU’s waste is diverted from incinerators or solid-waste landfills.
• 88% of students use sustainable commuting options. 
• AU uses 100 percent renewable electricity from on and off campus solar installations and renewable energy credits (RECs).  
• 100% reduction in AASHE STARS* Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from purchased electricity) 

*STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. In September 2024, AU received an AASHE STARS Gold rating.