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UMass Amherst ranks in the top 10 among the nation’s most environmentally responsible higher educational institutions, according to The Princeton Review’s 2026 Guide to Green Colleges. 

For the 10^th consecutive year, UMass Amherst has been recognized in the guide, which this year profiles 388 green colleges. The Princeton Review chose the colleges and universities based on a combination of school-reported data and student opinion from its 2024-25 sustainability survey created by a team of experts on green practices in higher education. Survey topics ranged from academic offerings and campus initiatives to career preparation for green jobs. 

Those selected as Top 50 Green Colleges exhibit superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education, and a healthy quality of life for students on campus, according to The Princeton Review. UMass Amherst placed No. 9 on this list and stands as the only public university in New England to place in the top 10.

“This ranking is a testament to all the work that’s going on across the university to advance sustainability and to engage our students in helping to tackle difficult and pressing regional, national and global climate challenges,” said Ezra Small, campus sustainability manager.

Small highlighted several sustainability achievements, including UMass Amherst’s gold rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), and UMass Dining’s continued leadership in sustainable food sourcing—recognized by The Princeton Review for the ninth consecutive year as the nation’s No. 1 Best Campus Food. UMass Dining also launched an A–E carbon footprint rating system with My Emissions, accompanied by the educational campaign Dining for a Cooler Planet.

School of Earth and Sustainability faculty and students collaboratively introduced a Climate Literacy Training pilot program to promote climate awareness and solutions through a social justice lens.

Among other awarded sustainability initiatives this year, the student-run New2U Thrift Store earned top honors in the Waste Diversion category in the Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study Competition. Students, staff and volunteers planted a new pollinator garden as part of ongoing sustainable landscaping efforts that helped UMass Amherst earn gold-level certification from the ReWild Your Campus Green Grounds program and recognition as a certified Bee Campus USA.

The university is also advancing decarbonization through its campus infrastructure and renovation projects, including the North Energy Exchange Center and Thermal Energy Storage system, and the Sustainable Engineering and Computer Sciences laboratories.

More than 25 survey data points were analyzed by The Princeton Review editors to tally Green Rating scores for the schools on a scale of 60 to 99; UMass Amherst earned a score of 99. Colleges that earned a Green Rating of 80 or higher made it into the guide and were selected based on a combination of school-reported data and student opinion, collected in 2024-25 through institutional and student surveys. 

They also share “superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education, and a healthy quality of life for students on campus,” according to the Green Colleges methodology

More about the methodology for the Green Colleges list can be found on The Princeton Review website.