Principia College has once again earned a STARS Silver rating through the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a comprehensive framework developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to measure and recognize sustainability efforts across higher education. The Silver rating builds on Principia’s longstanding record of sustainability recognition and reflects an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, hands-on learning, and responsible campus practices.
Principia submitted its latest STARS report on Aug. 21, 2026, following a recertification process that began earlier in the year. Principia College’s STARS report is publicly available on the STARS website.
Principia’s commitment to sustainability extends across campus operations, academic programs, student engagement, and stewardship of its natural surroundings. The College’s 2,600-acre campus provides a living laboratory where students explore the relationships between the natural environment and the ways people live, work, and interact with the world around them. Sustainability initiatives across campus are led by the newly established Office of Sustainability, which coordinates efforts and fosters collaboration throughout the College community.
Among the College’s sustainability initiatives is its six-acre solar farm, a 2-megawatt solar array that supplies more than one-fourth of the campus’s electricity needs while providing opportunities for students to study renewable energy and environmental stewardship. The College also supports native landscaping, ecosystem restoration, a food forest, and a community vegetable garden. In the dining room, Principia composts 100% of pre-and post-consumer food. These efforts connect sustainability principles with practical experience and help students understand how their actions can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Through the Center for Sustainability, Ecology, and Chemistry, students explore sustainability principles and practices through field research, conservation, and restoration work. The College’s multi-disciplinary and experiential Sustainability major and minor programs, along with a new Climate Change minor, earned high marks in the STARS Curriculum and Research categories, recognizing Principia’s commitment to preparing students to address complex environmental and social challenges through rigorous academic study and hands-on learning.
“One of the strengths of studying sustainability at Principia is that students can take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it directly to the world around them,” said Greg Bruland, Director of the Center for Sustainability, Ecology, and Chemistry. “Our 2,600-acre campus allows students to engage in field research, conservation, restoration, and other hands-on work that helps them understand both the complexity of environmental challenges and their role in responding to them.”
An example of this solutions-based learning involves students operating a campus thrift shop called the "Clothes Closet" and a Bike Rental and Repair shop—practical initiatives that promote sustainable consumption and transportation while giving students direct experience in running community-serving programs.
Principia also earned high marks in the STARS Public Engagement category, which recognized the College's facilities for public access, its integration of sustainability education into Summer Session programming, and the civic and community engagement opportunities it provides to students and the broader public.
“Maintaining our STARS Silver rating reflects the collective efforts of people across Principia College who are committed to sustainability in their work, teaching, and daily lives,” said Kynan Witters Hicks, the College’s Sustainability Director. “The STARS process helps us recognize the progress we’ve made, identify opportunities for improvement, and continue building a more sustainable future for our campus community.”
With more than 1,200 participating schools in 52 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is a widely recognized framework for measuring and publicly reporting sustainability performance in higher education. Participating institutions report across five areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership. Its transparent, credit-based system helps colleges assess their progress, compare performance, and identify opportunities for continued improvement.
Unlike other rating or ranking systems, this program is open to all institutions of higher education, and the criteria that determine a STARS rating are transparent and accessible to anyone. Because STARS is a program based on credits earned, it allows for both internal comparisons as well as comparisons with similar institutions.
“Our STARS Silver rating reflects a continuing commitment to sustainability across our College community,” said Principia College President Meggan Madden. “We’re proud of the work underway and recognize that sustainability is an ongoing effort. We look forward to building on this progress and continuing to create meaningful learning opportunities for our students.”
Principia’s latest STARS report recognizes its ongoing work while providing a framework for evaluating future opportunities. The Office of Sustainability will collaborate with departments across the College to share the report’s findings, celebrate accomplishments, and identify areas for continued growth.
To learn more about Principia College’s sustainability initiatives, visit Sustainability & Stewardship or explore the Center for Sustainability, Ecology, and Chemistry.
