Temple has been recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the 353 most environmentally responsible world-class colleges.

Sustainability is a significant issue for incoming college students. A Princeton Review survey of 10,116 college applicants in 2014 found that 61 percent cited a college’s commitment to environmental issues as a factor in their decision to apply to and attend a school.

Princeton Review’s 2015 Guide to 353 Green Colleges gives Temple a green rating of 94 out of a possible 99. It praises the university for signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, a pledge by colleges and universities to reduce greenhouse gases and promote research and educational efforts to address global climate disruptions.

“It’s really exciting to be working in sustainability at Temple,” said Kathleen Grady, director of the Office of Sustainability. “The strength of our program is tied to the level of student engagement. A lot of new project ideas come directly from the students, which helps keep our work innovative.”

Recent student-proposed developments at Temple include the opening of the Rad Dish Co-op Café, a student-run cooperative serving locally sourced, organic food at the Ritter Complex, and the expansion of the composting program.

Temple has also adopted the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as a standard for new buildings. The Architecture Building was built as Temple’s first LEED building with a “green roof,” a surface habitat that captures stormwater, increases the diversity of urban wildlife, reduces heat and extends the life of the structure. Morgan Hall, the Montgomery Parking Garage and the new Science Education and Research Center are pending LEED review.

Temple is also a growing destination for students interested in understanding and working with environmental issues. Twenty degree programs and numerous certificates include a sustainability focus, and nine Temple schools and colleges offer 138 undergraduate sustainability-related courses.

The Princeton Review rated 861 colleges and universities based on sustainability-related practices, policies and academic offerings for the 2013–14 school year. The entire 2015 Guide to 353 Green Colleges can be found online.

Learn more about Temple’s commitment to the environment at sustainability.temple.edu.