If you’re a senior approaching your college decision with Earth Day in mind, or even if you’re a junior applying in the fall, maybe you’ve wondered about how “green” the schools are on your list. Do they recycle, use organic food in the dining halls, or have solar panel and other energy-saving features in buildings?

The folks at The Princeton Review recognize that choosing an environmentally responsible college can be an important factor in your decision, so it announced this week (in conjunction with Earth Day), the debut of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges. TPR found that 64 percent of nearly 12,000 college applicants and parents surveyed said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend the school.

There are a few things we love about the news of this guidebook. For starters, it’s free. Also, it’s cool to see that 286 colleges made the book – it wasn’t long ago that students were having to push for on-campus recycling and other green initiatives. And the guide can be downloaded, so there’s less waste of paper.

The Princeton Review  partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council to create the guidebook, spotlighting schools that have “demonstrated an above-average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.”

You’ll find schools standing out for their recycling and conservation programs, use of renewable energy resources, sustainability initiatives, and environmental literacy efforts. Here are just a few examples:

• Arizona State University and The Catholic University of America both spend 35 percent of its food budget on local or organic food.
• Chatham University in Pennsylvania purchases 15 percent of its energy from wind-generated sources and has a 32-acre arboretum on campus
• At Towson University in Towson, Md., all incoming freshman participate in a “Go Green” orientation program filling them in on eco-friendly activities and how they can help out on campus.
• At Tufts University, 10 percent of buildings on campus have, or are seeking, LEED certification, an industry standard, and 100 percent of its cleaning products on campus are Green Seal-certified. Students are a key part of the equation, with the student-run sustainability group, ECO, helping with programs such as  “Do It in the Dark!,” where students compete to conserve the most energy over a month.

By choosing a college that pays attention to its impact on the environment, you might find opportunities to do good green-wise by living and learning in a setting that wants to lead change in a community.

–Barbara Bellesi