Elon's inclusion in the guide reflects the university's continued commitment to sustainability across campus.
Elon University is featured in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition,” which profiles 388 colleges that foster a culture of environmental responsibility and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
Elon has been featured in the guide since its first publication in 2010. The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on a survey the company conducted in 2024–2025 of administrators at 401 colleges about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges about their “green” campus experiences. The school selections were based on more than 25 data points from the surveys.
“Elon’s consistent recognition in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges demonstrates the university’s continued commitment to sustainability,” said Elaine Durr, senior director of sustainability at Elon.
Elon’s commitment to sustainability is evident in a variety of initiatives across the university:
- Elon launched a new Sustainability Master Plan in the spring of 2025. This plan, which is the university’s third, builds upon initiatives outlined in the Boldly Elon strategic plan.
- In 2024, Elon announced a partnership with eight other colleges and universities for a large-scale solar facility, which will allow Elon to make additional progress toward its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2037.
- Elon’s net greenhouse gas emissions for fiscal year 2024 were 26% lower than fiscal year 2008 levels.
- Since 2008, energy consumption per square foot has decreased 34% even though square footage has increased by more than 75%.
- Sixty-seven percent of academic departments have sustainability course offerings.
- Students have several opportunities beyond the classroom to engage with and learn about sustainability. A few examples are the Eco-Reps program, living-learning communities and student organizations.
“Among the hundreds of schools we surveyed for this project, Elon University, which offers excellent academics, is also a stand-out for its record of environmentally-responsible practices. We are delighted to recommend it to college applicants who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a ‘green’ one,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief.
Franek noted that The Princeton Review is seeing strong interest among college applicants in attending green colleges. Of the more than 7,000 students the company polled for its 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 59% said having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend the school.
The profiles in the Guide reveal The Princeton Review’s Green Ratings of the schools, which the company tallied on a scale of 60 to 99. Elon received a Green Rating of 88. The profiles provide detail on the schools’ uses of renewable energy, their recycling and conservation programs, and the availability of environmental studies in their academic offerings. The profiles also include information on the school’s admission requirements, cost, and financial aid.
The Princeton Review is also known for its other resources for college applicants, including its dozens of categories of college rankings. Elon was profiled in The Princeton Review’s annual book, The Best 391 Colleges, named among the nation’s “Best-Run Colleges” while showcasing its career services, performing arts productions, residential facilities, dining options and intramural sports opportunities. The university was also named a “Best Value College” in 2025.
About Elon University
Elon University is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.
At Elon, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 70 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. Elon is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.
Elon’s academic divisions include Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; a line of more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, the company is now in its 44th year. The company’s Tutor.com brand, now in its 25th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 28 million tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review, headquartered in New York, NY, is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com. Follow the company on Instagram (@theprincetonreview), LinkedIn (the-princeton-review), YouTube (@ThePrincetonReview), and TikTok (@princeton.review).