Eco Energy Saving Environmental Conservation Ecology Concept


The Princeton Review shared a list of 50 ecologically built and sustainably driven U.S. colleges for 2026. Data collection derived from a carefully constructed questionnaire—including an inquiry as to whether the design and construction of collegiate facilities aligned with green building standards and the existence of plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the study surveyed 388 educational facilities to make their determinations. 

College of the Atlantic (COA), Bar Harbor, Maine, remains a leader in sustainability in the rankings. The university is known for its effective mitigation of carbon output. In 2007, COA became the first carbon-neutral college, and continues to work toward total withdrawal from fossil fuel usage by 2030. 

Other universities—notably American University, Washington, DC and Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania—are recipients of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications for many of their buildings. In fact, American University is working to have the first facility to receive LEED Platinum certification for its development of a net-zero building. 

The LEED certification tiers are determined by a set number of points that align with a range of sustainability categories—location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation, and regional priority. These standards, referred to as LEED v5, support green construction practices that correlate to current ecological regulations and aims. 

These environmental exemplars showcase a future for facility development and maintenance.