Oregon State and Portland State Among Top 20 Greenest Colleges



The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has listed Oregon State and Portland State among the top 20 Greenest Colleges in the United States. AASHE takes pride in their scrutinizing methodology in determining the greenest colleges. The Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a voluntary system that allows universities and colleges to report and track their sustainability efforts. STARS is a quantifiable system that takes into account initiatives to reduce on-campus waste, energy consumption, promotion of alternative transportation, funding for green proposals, curriculum, green innovation, public engagement and much more.

Oregon State University ranks 10th among the top 39 Greenest Colleges in the United States with a STARS score of 70.94. OSU, located in Corvallis, Oregon is home to sustainability innovation and research. They take pride in their energy reduction efforts. For example, OSU has 22 exercise machines connected to the power grid, which in turn provides energy to the university's facilities.  Oregon State highest STARS rankings are among Research (17.5/18) and Campus Engagement (20/20) categories.

Oregon State's full STARS report can be found here

Portland State University ranks 20th among the top 39 Greenest Colleges in the United States with a STARS score of 68.67. PSU, located in Portland, Oregon is known for their energy conservation efforts. PSU consistently takes part in successful student and community outreach events like candlelight dinners, blackout board game nights, and smarter laundry workshops. Portland State's highest STAR ranking is in Research (18/18) in part due to the Institute for Sustainable Solutions. This program's focal areas are Urban Sustainability, Ecosystem Services, and Social Determinants of Health. More info about PSU's Institute for Sustainable Solutions can be found here:
http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/sustainability-research

Portland States's full STARS report can be found here

Find out if your university is ranked among the top 39 Greenest Colleges by clicking the link below.
http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/greenest-universities/

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