The Princeton Review selected colleges based on a comprehensive survey conducted during the 2023-24 academic year. The survey included input from nearly 600 college administrators and students regarding their institutions’ sustainability policies, practices, and programs. The guide also considers the schools’ uses of renewable energy, recycling and conservation programs, and the availability of environmental studies in academic offerings. 

Jennifer Chirico, associate vice president of Sustainability, emphasized Georgia Tech’s commitment to a sustainable future.  

“Georgia Tech is continuing to develop a thriving, sustainable campus. We developed our first Institute sustainability plan, Sustainability Next, followed by the publication of our first comprehensive Climate Action Plan. We are already operationalizing it with increased clean energy strategies, zero emissions mobility across campus, the expansion of our award-winning EcoCommons, and a local food supply chain assessment. In addition, we are thrilled to advance our Living Campus Pathways, providing students, faculty, and staff with campus data to use for advancing sustainability on campus,” she said. 

With a Green Rating Score of 91/99, these notable achievements factored into the decision to include Georgia Tech: 

• The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, the first Living Building Challenge-certified research and academic building in the Southeast. 

• 30 LEED-certified buildings on campus. 

• The award-winning EcoCommons, 80 acres of regeneratively designed greenspace. 

•  AASHE Stars GOLD rating. 

• Publication of the Institute’s Climate Action Plan. 

• A public Climate Story Map. 

• The Georgia Tech Arboretum certified as Arbnet Level II. 

• The Green Forks initiative, aimed at reducing food waste and supporting student food security. 

Rob Fanek, editor-in-chief at The Princeton Review, highlighted the increasing interest among students in attending environmentally conscious colleges. “We are delighted to recommend Georgia Tech to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a green one,” Franek said. He noted the significant impact of sustainability on college applicant decisions, with 61% of nearly 8,000 respondents in a recent survey indicating that a college’s commitment to the environment influences their decision.