Now high school students bound for college can add “green” to their list of criteria in choosing which institution they attend. If you’d like to know how to choose a green college, here are some tips.

What To Look For

1. Community Service

Colleges like Warren Wilson regularly engage in community clean-up programs. A green college will have programs of this nature for its students to participate in.

2. Green Buildings

More colleges are erecting buildings that are energy efficient, or modifying existing ones. When you visit the college’s website or campus, ask about the construction of the buildings. See if they are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

3. Reuse

Does the college have a “swap shop” or sell used books? Some green colleges have shops where students can trade gently used items like electronics to encourage reuse of these items. Used books are also important to save paper and money.

4. Recycle

Check to see that the college has a prominent recycling program that is easy to make use of and find.

5. Green Jobs

A green college should offer students courses and majors that involve green jobs and emphasize sustainable living.

6. Dorms

Find out if the dorms are equipped with energy-efficient lighting and water-saving bathroom fixtures.

-America’s Top Green Colleges-

According to TheDailyGreen.com, the top 10 colleges in America are:

1) College of the Atlantic - Bar Harbor, Maine

2) Middlebury College - Middlebury, Vermont

3) Evergreen State College - Olympia, Washington

4) Oberlin College - Oberlin, Ohio

5) Harvard University - Cambridge, Massachusetts

6) Warren Wilson College - Swannanoa, North Carolina

7) Duke University - Durham, North Carolina

8) University of California

9) Berea College - Berea, Kentucky

10) Tufts University - Medford, Massachusetts