Pepperdine University Named One of Nation’s Greenest Colleges by Princeton Review

Pepperdine University was named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 353 Green Colleges.” This distinction comes one week before the nation gears up to celebrate Earth Day on April 22.

The 2015 edition of the free, 218-page downloadable guide profiles colleges with the most exceptional commitments to sustainability based on their academic offerings and career preparation for students, campus policies, initiatives, and activities. The profiles in the guide give college applicants information about each school's admission requirements, cost, and financial aid, as well as student body facts and stats.

Pepperdine was recognized for its myriad sustainability initiatives, including its transportation alternatives, such as carpool and vanpool programs for employees, free campus shuttles, subsidized transit passes, and more. The review also highlights the University’s sustainability-focused degree offerings.

“Pepperdine University is thrilled to have again achieved recognition in the Princeton Review’s ‘Guide to Green Colleges,’” says Rhiannon Bailard, founding director of the University’s Center for Sustainability.

“Sustainability is not just something we do, it is truly a part of who we are as an institution,” Bailard continues. “Indeed, we remain committed to engaging in actions that further environmental and social causes both on our campus, in our community, and throughout the globe. There is always more that we can do, and we continue to stretch to find opportunities for further conservation, particularly in light of the historic drought.”

Pepperdine is consistently recognized for its commitment to using reclaimed wastewater for campus irrigation; its use of renewable sources such as geothermal wind, solar, and biomass, as energy; and the Graziadio School's certificate in Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible (SEER) Business Strategy, among others.

Pepperdine’s water conservation practices date back to 1972, when the University first implemented a water recycling program to treat all of the wastewater generated by the Malibu campus. Pepperdine reuses virtually all of the potable water from the Malibu campus. The Malibu campus is 832 acres with over 500 acres maintained in a native state, needing no irrigation or managed landscape practices. Since no water is needed to maintain this acreage, the University is able to reduce runoff and preserve local water quality. Learn more about Pepperdine's commitment to sustainability on the Center for Sustainability website[BROKEN LINK].

The Princeton Review chose the colleges based on "Green Rating" scores (from 60 to 99) that the company tallied in summer 2014 for 861 colleges using data from its 2013-14 survey of school administrators. The survey asked them to report on their school's sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. More than 25 data points were weighted in the assessment. Schools with Green Rating scores of 83 or higher made it into this guide.

Download the free, 218-page book on the Princeton Review website.