BIDDEFORD — For the eighth consecutive year, the University of New England has been named one of the nation’s top schools for environmental stewardship, according to The Princeton Review.
The company known for college rankings and test preparation services published its annual 2025 “Guide to Green Colleges” on Oct. 15 to provide a resource for college applicants interested in finding schools that prioritize environmental responsibility.
UNE did more in 2024 to raise its profile as a “green college.”
“UNE welcomed a major solar installation to campus this past year, reinforcing our commitments to sustainability, modeling our desire for a greener future, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting renewable energy education among students,” said Alethea Cariddi, M.S.Ed., UNE’s associate director of sustainability.
Other new UNE sustainability efforts include waste reduction, such as through the SWAP Shop (Surplus with a Purpose) that opened in 2024; sustainable landscaping and building design; and alternative modes of transportation, including the expansion of the electric vehicle charging network on both the Portland and Biddeford campuses.
The 15th edition of the green guide profiled 511 schools that were selected based on surveys of administrators. The company also surveyed students attending colleges about their “green campus” experience. Schools were selected based on exceptional programs, policies, and practices related to sustainability and the environment.
When institutions embrace green practices and programs, individuals and society benefit in myriad ways, said Scott Steinberg, MBA, UNE’s vice president of University Admissions. And how “green” colleges are today matters to prospective students and their parents, Steinberg added.
Of the nearly 8,000 students that participated in the company’s 2024 survey about their college hopes and concerns, 61 percent said they would choose a school based on its commitment to sustainability.
“UNE demonstrates its commitment to environmental issues through our strategic planning facilities, and the work of our faculty, professional staff, and students,” Steinberg said. “It is very gratifying to have UNE’s work in sustainability continually recognized nationally and internationally.”
Of the 511 schools selected, 460 are in the U.S., 31 are in Canada, and 20 are located in other countries.
“We are seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief said in a press release “We are proud to shine our light on these exceptional schools and to recommend them to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a green one.”
