Furman Earns High Score in Guide to Green Colleges

The Princeton Review profiles environmentally responsible schools

GREENVILLE, SC – May 3, 2010 – The Princeton Review has named Furman University one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges and has a profile of Furman in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges.”

A resource for college applicants, the free guide is available online (www.princetonreview.com/greenguide) and was developed by The Princeton Review education services company in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Furman scored 98 on a “Green Rating” scale ranging from 60 to 99. Scores were based on data collected from a survey of hundreds of schools in 2009. The 286 schools included in the guide received scores in the 80th or higher percentile.

Four other schools in South Carolina are in the guide: Clemson, Wofford, Coastal Carolina and the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

“The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges” bills itself as the first, free comprehensive guidebook focused solely on institutions of higher education demonstrating an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.

Released in connection with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, the guide looks at areas such as an institution’s commitment to building certification using USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program; environmental literacy programs; formal sustainability committees; use of renewable energy resources; and recycling and conservation programs.
Another purpose of the guide is to provide information on schools that have environmental studies curriculums.

“Students and their parents are becoming more and more interested in learning about and attending colleges and universities that practice, teach and support environmental responsibility,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of The Princeton Review.

“According to our recent College Hope & Worries Survey, 64 percent of college applicants and their parents said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend it. We created this guide to help them evaluate how institutions like Furman focus on environmental responsibility so that they can make informed decisions as they move through the college assessment and application process,” Franek added.

In addition to accessing The Princeton Review’s website to download the guide, it is available at www.usgbc.org/campus.

For more information, contact the Furman News and Media Relations Office at (864) 294-3107.