The University of Iowa is one of the 322 most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. This is the fourth year in a row that the UI has been listed in the guide.

The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges highlights the school's ambitious sustainability targets to achieve by 2020; these include net negative energy growth, 60 percent waste-diversion, and 40 percent renewable energy consumption.

Sustainable design practices have been in place for a decade, leading to six LEED-certified buildings on campus, including the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Information Technology Facility. As part of the UI's Sustainable Water Resources Initiative, 10 new interdisciplinary faculty positions have been created, and the undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability is one of the most popular certificate programs on campus with 145 students enrolled.

"We are pleased to be recognized once again for our efforts. We are making significant progress toward our Vision 2020 sustainability targets," says Liz Christiansen, director of the UI Office of Sustainability.

The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a 50-question survey it conducted in 2012 about schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation as measures of their commitment to the environment and to sustainability. The 2013 edition of the free book can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide.

The Princeton Review created its Guide to 322 Green Colleges in partnership with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, with support from United Technologies Corp., founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools. Information about The Princeton Review’s Green Rating methodology is available at www.princetonreview.com/green.aspx.

For more information about UI sustainability efforts, see sustainability.uiowa.edu/.