San Diego State University was voted No. 42 among the Top 50 “green colleges” in the Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition.
The “green ratings” of each school are measured on a scale of 60 to 99; SDSU received a 96.
“Environmental sustainability is an essential part of the five-year strategic plan that SDSU launched in 2020, and we are grateful for this recognition,” Adela de la Torre, SDSU president, said in a news release.
Each school’s use of renewable energy, recycling and conservation programs were noted. The option of an environmental studies major also was included.
Students at each college were surveyed about their “green” campus experience.
“[SDSU] demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its campus programs, policies and practices,” Rob Franek, the Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, said.
The university has 15 buildings on- and off-campus that have been LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), including the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union, the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex and Snapdragon Stadium.
LEED covers a building’s sustainability attributes, including energy and water use, location and site, materials and the impact on the residents.
“It is an incredible honor to have SDSU among the top 50 green colleges,” said Kristin Larson, SDSU director of energy and sustainability. ” We have so many sustainability champions across our alumni, faculty, students and staff, and it takes every one of them to move SDSU towards a more sustainable university.”
