Princeton Review has ranked UC Santa Cruz as the No. 6 green college in the nation, a reflection of the campus’s abiding commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. 

”Achieving our climate and sustainability goals is a campuswide challenge and we are continuing to pursue opportunities to advance our work through research, education and campus practices,” said Vice Chancellor for Finance, Operations and Administration Ed Reiskin. “I’m inspired by how students, faculty and staff work together to prioritize our global challenges.” 

UC Santa Cruz is the highest ranked California university on the Top 50 Green Colleges list. Princeton Review also includes UC Santa Cruz among the Best Value Colleges and the Best 391 Colleges, both of which are unranked lists.

Sustainability is a foundational value of UC Santa Cruz, expressed through research, education, operational practices, the campus strategic plan, and in every capital project.

The new academic building and three residence halls at Kresge College were certified LEED Gold and the newly renovated dining hall at Rachel Carson/Oakes was certified LEED silver.