UAlbany Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Sustainability
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 24, 2024) — For the 11th consecutive year, the University at Albany has been honored for its superb sustainability practices and emphasis on healthy student living in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition.
This year, 511 campuses were graded via school-reported data and student opinion. The Princeton Review gave each institution a “Green Rating,” a number tallied and represented on a scale of 60-99. UAlbany received a rating of 95 out of 99.
"We are proud to be recognized in the 2025 Princeton Guide to Green Colleges,” said UAlbany Director of Sustainability Mary Ellen Mallia. “This acknowledgment reflects our University's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, as we strive to create a greener future for our campus and community."
UAlbany strives to operate in a sustainable manner possible through a combination of energy efficiency and conservation projects, renewable energy technologies, green cleaning and sustainable waste management.
The University’s Uptown Campus is home to the largest rooftop solar array in the SUNY system. The 4,783 photovoltaic panels can generate 1.9 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 315 homes.
UAlbany has 17 buildings that are certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), demonstrating that the building was designed or rehabilitated to meet set standards in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The ETEC and Hudson buildings are both ranked LEED Platinum, the highest level.
ETEC and the Liberty Terrace apartment complex feature geothermal heat pump systems that supplies heating and cooling. This technology uses the earth as a heat source in the winter and as heat sink in the summer, allowing them to use less energy than traditional heating systems.
Students also have a direct connection to UAlbany’s green practices. University dining halls compost food waste and have trackers displayed to show how much each dining hall composts during the school year. UAlbany and the CDTA bus routes work together to offer easily accessible public transportation routes across campus and the Capital Region. The Purple Line was unveiled in 2023, which bridges landmarks across UAlbany’s Uptown and Downtown campuses. UAlbany students, faculty and staff ride free on CDTA buses, to encourage the use of public transportation.
This month, the University hosted the third summit of the U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network, an event that highlighted how to support healthy college campuses and foster programs which build sustainable environments. UAlbany was also one of the first U.S. institutions to sign the Okanagan Charter in 2021, emphasizing the university’s priority of sustainable, healthy initiatives.
In addition to the Princeton Review, UAlbany was also named a top performer in the 2024 Sustainable Campus Index, published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).