Penn State is dedicated to tracking its progress in sustainability to improve the University and address its sustainability goals. It may be difficult for Penn State to proceed forward with tangible, sustainable improvements unless we measure our current successes and failures.
The University has already participated in several sustainability progress assessments, such as the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and the Princeton Review’s Green Rating (see brief descriptions below). We also track additional metrics that are representative of Penn State’s unique sustainability goals.
The View our Progress page provides information on Penn State’s sustainability performance. Penn State is actively working to coordinate reporting by partners across the university to gather the necessary information and data to keep these dashboards up to date. New information is published when it becomes available.
The Pennsylvania State University is proud to consistently rank highly for our impact in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our Gold Ranking in the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Ranking System (STARS) is valid through 2024, and recognizes our achievements in academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership – and even receiving full points for our advancements in research. Our global impact, measured through the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, places us within the top 50 universities from 106 countries/regions. On this page, you’ll see the many initiatives that contribute to Penn State’s sustainability advancements.
