Many students care deeply about the environment and sustainability and want to incorporate their passion about the Earth into their college experience. But how to choose a college that best facilitates that?

Colleges' commitment to climate action manifests in a variety of ways. Many colleges focus on implementing sustainability on campus, so students can rest assured that not only is their day-to-day life at the institution they attend eco-friendly, but also that their college is upholding a commitment to care for the environment alongside the students. Some colleges prioritize funding environmental research. Colleges tackle this from different angles, including politics, economics, engineering, ecology, earth science, and more. The research a college conducts is important for prospective undergraduates to consider because they will get to learn directly from the faculty responsible for such meaningful work and may even have the opportunity to contribute to the research themselves. Finally, although most colleges offer some course of study related to the environment, certain colleges go above and beyond, whether that be through the breadth of courses and educational resources focused on sustainability, the strength and rigor of one particular program, or the number of majors beyond environmental science that relate to climate action.

From a multitude of sources with differing perspectives and priorities, we've comprised a list of the 30 best colleges for climate action. Continue reading to learn more about each.

Great Colleges for Climate Action and Environmental Studies

We've compiled information from the Sierra Club, Times Higher Education, US News, Great Value Colleges, and more sources with different ranking criteria in order to create this well-rounded list of colleges with strengths in different facets of the fight against climate change in education. Each listed institution includes:

• Academic Profile. The overall admission rate and mid-50th percentile test score breakdowns (ACT/SAT) are provided to help you assess if you're a competitive applicant.

• Majors offered. A listing of environmental study majors is provided to give you a sense for the breadth and depth of offerings.

• Notes. We've also provided notes to highlight unique facets to each institution's approach to climate change and education.

Author

Ada Praun-Petrovic is a graduate of The Harker School's Class of 2023 and a member of the Dartmouth Class of 2027.

Great Colleges for Climate Action and Environmental Studies

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