Sustainable Operations

UC Merced Earns Perfect Score, Ranks 7th in Nation on Princeton Review’s ‘Top 50 Green Colleges’ List

November 9, 2025

UC Merced was recognized again as a national leader in sustainability, earning a perfect Green Rating score and ranking No. 7 in the nation on The Princeton Review’s 2025 list of Top 50 Green Colleges. The ranking highlights universities that set the standard for environmental stewardship...

Merced 2020 Project Buildings Earn LEED Certification

Eleven buildings in the Merced 2020 Project, UC Merced’s ambitious public-private partnership that nearly doubled the campus footprint, have been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental...

Solar panels atop campus buildings are just one factor in the campus's carbon neutrality.

Campus Reaches Carbon Neutrality Ahead of Schedule

After a lengthy and rigorous review by independent auditors, UC Merced can proudly announce it is the first public research university in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, two years ahead of...

UC Merced Named Top 5 ‘Cool School’ by Sierra Club and Makes 'Green College Honor Roll'

UC Merced’s national reputation for sustainability continues to grow, with the Sierra Club naming the university No. 5 on its 2020 “Cool Schools” list and The Princeton Review...

UC Merced Wins Best Practice Awards for Sustainability Efforts

UC Merced is the only campus to win three best practice awards in the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference ’s 2020 energy and sustainability competition. The annual...

UC Merced Named a Top “Green College” by Princeton Review

UC Merced has been named one of the best schools for environmental sustainability and quality of campus life, placing 20th on The Princeton Review’s list of top 50 “green colleges....

University Receives AASHE Campus Sustainability Award for Bobcat Eats Program

One of UC Merced’s core values is sustainability and that extends to food waste. Since its inception last year, the Bobcat Eats Food Waste Awareness and Prevention Program has saved more...

UC Merced has risen 61 spots in the overall U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings in the past two years.

UC Merced Takes Another Giant Leap in U.S. News Rankings

The fastest-growing public research university in the nation is the fastest-rising university in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. The University of California Merced,...

University is No. 1 for Sustainable Buildings, Research in AASHE Rankings

UC Merced has been recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as having the most sustainable buildings in higher education throughout the world...

UC Merced jumped 44 spots from its previous high on the Sierra Club's "Cool Schools" list and is ranked No. 6 in the nation for 2019.

University Vaults to No. 6 in ‘Cool Schools’ Rankings

UC Merced has made its way into another top 10 in national rankings, this time jumping up to No. 6 in the Sierra Club’s 2019 “Cool Schools” list. The university jumped 44...