UC Merced's reputation for environmental stewardship remains strong following the campus's most recent recognition by The Princeton Review 2024 Green Honor Roll.
UC Merced was one of four UC campuses, and one of only four public universities in California, to make the list, including UC Berkeley, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. UC Merced received a score of 99 points, which is the highest possible green score provided by the ranking.
UC Merced also placed No. 10 on the Top Green Colleges ranking. UC Irvine placed No.9, and UC Santa Cruz placed in the Top 50 at #31. Merced and Irvine were the only two UC campuses to rank in the top 10.
"UC Merced continues to forge ahead in identifying opportunities to enrich our students' experiences and integrate sustainable practices into the infrastructure of the campus. There are many project opportunities underway, and we are committed to ensuring the success of our campus' sustainability efforts," said Breeana Sylvas, interim director and chief sustainability officer.
Projects underway include efforts to decarbonize campus operations, enhance waste operations through a composting program and plan for a natural trails path on site. Student projects that support campuswide efforts include research on climate resiliency and environmental justice through equity, diversity and inclusion.
The green college rankings list is based on data from The Princeton Review's surveys of administrators at the colleges for its Green Rating scores and surveys of students attending the colleges.
Data from the student survey included assessments of the influence of sustainability issues on students' academic and campus experiences, administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts.
The Green Honor Roll recognition follows recent UC Merced regents' final approval of the campus's Medical Education Building, which will pursue LEED certification and be all electric.
Public Information Officer
