This year, that distinction goes to none other than Penn State, which moves to the top spot after a respectable third-place finish in 2008. Last year’s winner, Florida, drops to second.

Who else made the Top 20? Here’s the list:

1. Penn State University, State College, Pa.
2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
4. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
7. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
9. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
10. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
11. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
12. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
13. Union College, Schenectady, N.Y.
14. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
15. DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.
16. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
17. Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.
18. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D.
19. Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
20. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.

Source: Associated Press

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The Princeton Review, one of America’s most widely-known education services and test-prep companies, and USA TODAY, have announced the 100 Best Value Colleges for 2009.

The “Best Value” colleges list, reported on PrincetonReview.com and USAToday.com, features 50 public and 50 private colleges and universities. The Princeton Review selected these institutions as its “best value” choices for 2009 based on its surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs of attendance, and financial aid, using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2007-08 academic year.

The Princeton Review “Top 10 Best Value Private Colleges for 2009″ are:

1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore PA)

2. Harvard College (Cambridge MA)

3. Princeton University (Princeton NJ)

4. Rice University (Houston TX)

5. Yale University (New Haven CT)

6. Williams College (Williamstown MA)

7. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)

8. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena CA)

9. Pomona College (Claremont CA)

10. Stanford University (Stanford CA)

To view in-depth details about the schools, go to The Princeton Review online, or to USAToday.com.

Source: The Princeton Review

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The Princeton Review, that respected rater of universities, has recognized that sustainability is not just fashionable, it could be darn meaningful for students of the G-generation who may have to be up to snuff on renewable energy, water conservation and carbon emission reductions. Be they aspiring CEOs or landscapers, lobbyists or entymologists, a good working knowledge of invasive species, geothermal dynamics, biofuels and organic foods could be helpful going forward.

So considering that the new ivy might be algae, the Review partnered with ecoAmerica, a non-profit environmental marketing agency, to vet the sustainability programs popping like native weeds on campuses nationwide.

It ranked nearly 534 universities on their overall green chops, looking at everything from green degrees to local food in the campus cafeterias. The findings were posted this week on the Review’s website and will be included 2009 Editions of The Princeton Review’s Annual College Guides and Website Profiles of Schools.

The rankings include an Honor Roll list of the Top 11 Green Colleges that achieved a ranking of 99 on a 60-99 point scale:

Arizona State University at Tempe — The home of the Sun Devils was cited because sustainability considerations underlie all of its educational goals, business and research practices. ASU, set in a desert that provides a daily reminder to conserve, capped its commitment to green activities by creating a School of Sustainability in 2007 with dozens of cross-disciplinary study options.

Bates College –- This Lewiston, Maine college has a history of environmentalism and claims as an alum former Sen. Ed Muskie, who helped author the Clean Air, Clean Water and Resource Recovery Acts. Bates’ boasts two new buildings built to LEED Silver standards and became the first Maine facility to parter with Zipcar, the use-as-needed car sharing service.

College of the Atlantic — This small, pastoral school in Bar Harbor, Maine, was created to teach an harmonious existence with nature and holds the singular distinction of being the only carbon neutral college, having reduced or offset its emissions to “net zero”. The campus gets its electricity from hydropower; heats some buildings with eco-friendly wood pellets (that produce cleaner smoke than most other wood burning methods) and is experimenting with edgy green projects like composting toilets and many other water- and energy-conserving techniques.

Emory University — Atlanta’s pride and joy wants to become a model for sustainability. It is build ing all new facilities to LEED standards, using alternative fuel shuttle vehicles and infusing the curriculum with eco-ideas. Local food and recycling waste are part of the formula as Emory, already endowed with a rep for excellent academics, builds its green credentials.

Georgia Institute of Technology — GIT out of town, this second major Atlanta college to make the list has 21 endowed chairs that contain a significant sustainability aspect! The campus directs students toward taking at least one of more than 100 courses that has a sustainability emphasis. On campus programs include green cleaning, solid waste recycling, native plantings and eco-friendly practices in dining halls.

Harvard College — An easy pick for the list with the largest green campus organization anywhere. According to the Princeton Review, Harvard has 24 full time staff and 32 part time students working to green all areas of the campus. It also offers a loan program to anyone with a green concept that has a payback within 10 years, an initiative that has resulted in improved lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation systems.

State University of New York at Binghamton (also known as Binghamton University) — A no-brainer really. Much of the campus is a designated Nature Preserve and the university uses the natural lands and wetlands to teach ecology, literature (Walden Pond shove over), and outdoor recreation. The campus is building only LEED ranked facilities and operates an organic garden.

University of New Hampshire – This college in Durham, N.H., has an Office of Sustainability, begun in 1997, that is the oldest endowed sustainability program in the United States. The office aims to protect biodiversity (and therein public health); educates on climate protection and promotes healthy and sustainable food systems. In 2009, the campus will be the first to use landfill gas as its primary energy source, providing 80 percent or more of its own power needs.

University of Oregon — A longtime leader in the movement, it’s simply the culture here in Eugene where students can take more than 200 courses with a sustainability component. “Sustainability is in the DNA of the University of Oregon,” says UO President Dave Frohnmayer, in a press release on the university making the green grade. “Maybe it’s because we live in a beautiful environment. Maybe it’s because we’ve learned to treasure the gorgeous world we live in, that we’ve become more conscious of the need to take care of it, and beyond that to watch our habits, to try to lead a healthy lifestyle.

University of Washington – UW was singled out for being a founding member of the Seattle Climate partnership, which requires the school to buy 100 percent renewable energy and also for food services that use local organic foods and are aiming for zero waste. The university encourages alternative non-polluting transporation and operates a fleet of hybrid, bio-diesel and electric vehicles.

Yale University — Yale was haled for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by using solar, wind and geothermal energy produced on campus. It promotes a variety of conservation measures to reduce consumption, re-setting thermostats, using biofuels and offering incentives to live near campus. The school is also a leader in green research, according to the Review. It offers a Sustainability Leaders program and countless other green activities.

The criteria for the ratings covered three broad areas: whether the school’s students have a campus quality of life that is healthy and sustainable, how well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and the school’s overall commitment to environmental issues, according to a news release by The Princeton Review. The survey also looked at energy use, recycling, food, buildings, transportation, academics and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, see the story at GreenRightNow.com.

Sponsored list:

• Hotel offers under $99 (feed)

PrincetonReview.com

The Princeton Review asked 120,000 students at 368 top colleges to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences. Best 368 Colleges (2009 Edition) ranking lists and school profiles are posted on PrincetonReview.com.

PrincetonReview.com

According to a survey by The Princeton Review that asked 120,000 students at 368 top colleges to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report on their campus experiences, the best professors are at Middlebury College (VT).  The tastiest campus food is at Wheaton College (IL) and the best dorms are at Loyola College (MD).  The students happiest with their financial aid attend Princeton University, which also tops the list for the most beautiful campus.

Ranking lists report the top 20 colleges in these and over 50 other categories in the 2009 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual college guide Best 368 Colleges.  Other ranking categories report on campus political leanings, race/class relations, social scenes and sports interests.

The book also includes ratings (numerical scores from 60 to 99) on each college profile in eight categories tallied by The Princeton Review.  Among them is a new Green Rating based on the schools’ environmentally-related practices, policies and course offerings.  The book’s ranking lists and school profiles are posted on PrincetonReview.com.