UC ranked among the greenest college campuses

The University of Cincinnati stands out as one the nation’s greenest college campuses, securing a No. 8 ranking in the Princeton Review.

Organizers of the ranking say schools that offer “superb sustainability practices, a strong foundation in sustainability education and a healthy quality of life for students on campus” are listed among the top 50 green campuses nationally.

UC outranks other Ohio institutions in this listing and comes ahead of other institutions such as the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, New York University and University of California at Irvine. The 2026 rankings were based on a combination of school-reported data and student opinion, via institutional and student surveys.

University Business magazine reported the ranking and noted that prospective college students may be swayed to attend a college depending on its sustainability.

“Sustainability at UC is the result of strong collaboration across departments, faculty and students,” explains Alex Román, UC’s sustainability coordinator. “Every project, from energy efficiency upgrades to waste diversion and green infrastructure, reflects teamwork and a shared belief that sustainability should be woven into the university’s daily operations and academic mission."

“Being recognized among the top green campuses reinforces what we see every day: UC is full of people who care deeply about their community and environment," adds Román. "This ranking celebrates that collective effort and the creativity that keeps pushing us forward.”

As UC continues to grow and increasingly experience more unpredictable and intense flooding, heat, biodiversity loss and storms, the university has taken several steps toward actively stewarding its future. From infrastructures that reduce food waste to pollinator walls and LEED certified buildings, the campus is on the path to support many innovative programs and initiatives in sustainability. 

Sustainability is also a priority in research, teaching and engagement at UC. The first climate action plan was published in 2009 and was followed with a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan in 2019 with ambitious goals across waste, food and other sectors of its operations.

There are more than a dozen student groups who amplify work in this area on campus. Several programs, centers and schools on campus also have a focus on sustainability and the environment. The Bike Kitchen is managed by student workers who rent and repair bikes for free for the UC community, and Bearcat Recycling is supported by student volunteers who help with waste diversion after football and basketball games.

UC has been a designated Tree Campus USA Higher Education, an Arbor Day Foundation program, for the past three years.  UC is required to complete a student learning project and an Arbor Day observance tree project every year. Students have installed Musashino Zelkova trees along Langsam Library and Street Keeper Honeylocust trees along Commons Way near French West.

UC Food Services has a partnership with Last Mile Food Rescue to rescue edible surplus food and minimize food waste and has many programs designed to encourage sustainability.

Some of these include:

• Reusable to-go container program (OZZI), replacing disposable items and reducing paper product usage.
• Responsible purchasing: sourcing local, seasonal, responsibly raised or grown foods.
• Sourcing locally: i.e. greens from 80 Acres, coffee from Rooted Grounds and produce from Piazza Produce.
• Pre-consumer food waste tracking via the Leanpath system in kitchens.
• “Weigh the Waste” events held in dining centers to raise awareness of food waste and inspire better habits.
• On-site composting at On the Green that is picked up by partner Go Zero.

Roman says UC’s campus has truly become a living lab for sustainability.

“Our vegetable garden is managed and maintained by students, and every pound of produce harvested is donated to the Bearcats Pantry to support food security on campus. The rain garden beside it was designed and installed by two different classes, and the microforest and pollinator wall are both projects that grew out of student-led design work. The pollinator wall is still in progress, and we are hoping to keep expanding these kinds of collaborations and hands-on learning opportunities across campus.

“Our online sustainability map is another great example of that collaboration,” adds Román. “It was a long-term vision of mine that became a reality thanks to the creativity of a faculty member and her class.”

UC Utilities is active in promoting sustainability on several fronts, explains Mike Hofmann, director of utilities at UC.

He says UC utility plants capture and re-utilize over 25 million gallons of wastewater annually. This number increases annually, and reduces the University’s costs significantly.  A significant amount of CO2 does not enter the environment as a result of the reduced power costs for both the University and the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD).

Utilities has partnered with MSD on several projects to date, and with new stormwater billing policies coming out shortly is working with MSD to find ways to reduce stormwater into the environment in addition to what is done today. This will also reduce costs and CO2 footprint on both the University and MSD entities, Hofman adds.

Other projects include UC and MSD managing controlled stormwater release into the MSD system.

"This has helped prevent stormwater overflows in the MSD system and resultant property damage," explains Hofman. "There is also real time monitoring of UC campus stormwater detention tanks by Utilities and MSD to ensure no overflow occurs in our system and in parallel in the MSD network."

Utilities has also implemented a campus building energy audit program to identify ways to reduce overall energy utilization on campus.

Read the green campus story in University Business online.

Check out the full ranking of schools in the Princeton Review.

Learn more about UC’s efforts by taking a Campus Sustainability Tour online.

Featured top image of Sigma Sigma Commons on the UC campus. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.