Happy Earth Day! In honor of the day, we have compiled a list of some of the greenest colleges in the country, as well as some unexpected environmentally-friendly majors to consider (beyond environmental science)! 

Oberlin College

With the top spot on the Princeton Review’s list of the Greenest Colleges, Oberlin is a great choice for an environmentally-conscious student. In 2000, the Center for Environmental Studies was opened on campus, a “green building” with solar panels on the roof and waste water recycling. On campus as well as in the town of Oberlin, they monitor electricity and water use in real time, and recently installed 10 acres of solar panels. Their goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2025. 

Students can engage in the process by volunteering at the George Jones Memorial Farm, which grows a third of the produce consumed on campus. Sustainable food practices are important to Oberlin students - 25% of them are part of the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, a student-run dining system that buys the majority of its food from local vendors. Students also run a Bicycle Co-op and other volunteer groups on campus.

The environmental studies program is one of the top in the country, as you may expect, but Oberlin is also a world-class conservatory with phenomenal opportunities for the budding musicians out there!

Middlebury College

Currently in the midst of an “Earth Week” lecture series for students and faculty, Middlebury College in Vermont is another school that keeps environmental sustainability front and center. Middlebury’s campus became carbon neutral in 2016, the final result of a student initiative that began in 2007. It is the first school of its size to achieve carbon neutrality. The school is currently in the process of working toward additional goals with its 10-year Energy2028 initiative. The initiative includes a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2028, as well as divesting fully from fossil fuels.

The environmental studies program at Middlebury offers 14 different concentrations, ranging from conservation biology to literature. Wow! And if you’re interested in combining your interests in environmental studies with a passion for cultures and languages, Middlebury has you covered. Their reputation as an international studies/foreign language powerhouse comes through in offerings that include the summer Middlebury School of the Environment program in China and an accelerated master’s degree in International Environmental Policy.

Pitzer College

Pitzer, one of the Claremont Colleges near Los Angeles, lists Environmental Sustainability as one of its five core values. The school “walks the walk” with drought-resistant native plants and LEED-certified sustainable buildings populating the campus. 68% of the residence halls on Pitzer’s campus are LEED-certified. More than 25% of the energy on campus comes from renewable sources. 

Environmental analysis is one of the most popular majors for Pitzer students. Pitzer was also the first school in Southern California to divest from fossil fuels, and is home to the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability. 

If you’re interested in taking a more active approach by starting your own project or research in the field, Pitzer might be a particularly good fit. As we mentioned back in November on our election day blog post on Schools for Politically-Minded Students, Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center offers funding to support individual projects!

Dickinson College

Students at Dickinson are currently in the midst of a sustainability-focused EcoChallenge for the month of April. During the challenge, students will form teams and work to lower their carbon footprint. Dickinson itself reached carbon neutrality last year in 2020, and uses real-time energy monitoring in over 20 campus buildings. 

Dickinson also has its own organic farm, which grows much of the produce eaten on campus. In fact, the dining hall has been named a Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association, making it one of 50 colleges in the US to achieve this status. The campus is also home to two honeybee hives, and students can volunteer to become part of The Hive Cooperative!

Lewis & Clark College

Students describe Lewis & Clark as collaborative, outdoorsy, open-minded, and inclusive. The campus sits on 137 wooded acres one block from a national park, giving students the opportunity to have a bucolic college experience only a few miles from Portland, OR. 

Lewis & Clark is nationally recognized for its environmental studies programs on both the undergraduate and the graduate level. The School of Law is ranked first in the country for its environmental law program, and undergraduate students can take advantage through an accelerated BA and Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) in Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law that students can complete in four years. 

Colby College

Colby recently introduced a new concentration in ecocriticism, allowing humanities students to add their voices to the conversation around the environment. Years ago, Colby was also one of the first colleges in the country to reach carbon neutrality, becoming carbon neutral in 2013. 24% of the buildings on Colby’s campus are LEED-certified. The campus’ Buck Environment and Climate Change Lab connects and provides funding for students and faculty engaged in research on climate change. 

Students who want to get involved in sustainability on campus can choose from many different organizations, including EcoReps, the Environmental Coalition, the Colby Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and the Colby Alliance for Renewable Energy. And the latest student initiative on campus is the reusable mug program, which would require Dining Services to provide a reusable mug to each student in an effort to curb the use of paper and plastic cups to take beverages on the go. 

Not interested in a green school, but still want to do your part for the environment? Check out the Princeton Review’s list of the top ten green majors. Some of these may surprise you - majoring in fashion design, urban planning, or entrepreneurship can definitely be an amazing eco-friendly choice!