UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has been recognized as a “Top Performer” in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index, and is tied for sixth position in the area of research among doctoral/research institutions.
A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 13 impact areas, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
Penn State’s University Park campus currently carries a gold STARS rating, which places the University at the top of participating Big Ten institutions in sustainability performance. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance in four main categories: academics, engagement, operations, and planning and administration.
"Penn State's recognition by AASHE as a top-performing sustainable university affirms our steadfast commitment to cutting-edge, visionary and vital research," said Penn State Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read. "An innovative approach to solving real-world issues is characteristic of our research teams and the robust institutional support that bolsters their work. We are deeply proud of the students, faculty and staff whose efforts have led to Penn State being acknowledged as a sustainability leader."
Penn State earned its Top Performer status by earning 100% of available points in the following areas: the number of faculty and departments that conduct sustainability research; sustainability research incentives for students and faculty as well as recognition of interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary research and library support; and the University's open-access policy to journal articles, book chapters and other peer-reviewed scholarly works.
While the Top Performer recognition specifically highlights Penn State’s exceptional sustainability research, the gold STARS rating, which takes a more comprehensive look at the University, contributed greatly to this recent commendation.
The following achievements were considered in Penn State’s gold STARS rating:
- Enacted a 70-MW Solar Power Purchase Agreement that provides 25% of Penn State’s system-wide electricity needs over the next 25 years. This project is tied for the largest solar project in the state of Pennsylvania and was carefully designed to be a national model in maximizing the sustainability benefits of a utility-scale solar project.
- Continued to institutionalize sustainability by expanding the number of designated sustainability champions throughout Penn State’s colleges, campuses, and support units, as well as in governance groups such as the University Faculty Senate and student government.
- Developed new sustainability-related courses across an expanded breadth of academic departments and provided new co-curricular opportunities for student engagement and learning.
- Continued to conduct innovative research in many fields relevant to sustainability, with over 70% of the University’s faculty who conduct research being involved in sustainability-related investigations, representing all 88 academic departments.
- Continued Penn State’s strong commitment to public engagement in sustainability, including community initiatives and events of the Sustainable Communities Collaborative, Student Farm, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, and a film series focusing on issues of environmental and social justice.
- Reduced Penn State’s per-capita greenhouse gas emissions for the University Park campus by over 57.5% relative to a 2005 baseline.
“This achievement underscores not only Penn State’s dedication to advancing sustainability, but also the resilience of higher education at a time of significant global and societal challenges,” said Meghan Fay Zahniser, executive director of AASHE. “Penn State’s progress serves as inspiration for students, staff and faculty everywhere who are working to integrate sustainability into their daily lives and professional practice. Together, the collective achievements of all STARS participants illustrate the power of higher education to drive solutions at scale and to model the leadership needed for a more sustainable future.”
For more information about sustainability at Penn State, please visit sustainability.psu.edu or subscribe to the “Mainstream” biweekly sustainability newsletter at this link.