Rankings & Accolades
Rankings & accolades
Recognition for impact-driven education
College of the Atlantic’s commitment to human ecology, sustainability, and student-centered education has earned widespread national recognition—from “greenest college” honors to awards for community engagement, academic innovation, and social entrepreneurship. COA ranks among the top colleges in the country on the Princeton Review’s lists.
National Honors
Celebrated for innovation, quality of life, and environmental leadership
Princeton Review top rankings:
- #1 Green College (2016–2025)
- Best Classroom Experience
- Great Financial Aid
- LGBTQ-Friendly
- Most Active Student Government
- Friendliest Students
- Best Quality of Life
- Students Study the Most
- Everyone Cares About Conservation
Additional honors:
- Changemaker Campus designation by Ashoka U
- Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for global engagement
- MacArthur Genius Award for innovation in liberal arts education
- #1 Zero-Waste Campus (Post Landfill Action Network, 2024)
- Top 5 Sustainable Baccalaureate Institution (AASHE, 2019)
Student fellowships & awards
COA students win top academic and leadership awards across the globe
Our experiential, interdisciplinary model prepares students to compete for and succeed in prestigious awards—many of which support international research, environmental leadership, and public service.
Awarded for excellence in science, math, and engineering research. COA has produced over 20 Goldwater Scholars since 1990. Recent recipients include:
- 2024: Noelle Stringer ’25
- 2023: Wriley Hodge ’24
- 2022: Eleanor Gnam ’23
One-year international fellowships for graduating seniors.
COA is one of a select group of colleges invited to nominate students.
Recent Watson projects:
- 2025 – Linnea Goh ’25: Sustainable Seaweed Stories (Indonesia, New Zealand, Chile, Japan, Kenya)
- 2024 – Wriley Hodge ’24: Hope is the Thing with Feathers (Iceland, Faroe Islands, Antarctica)
- 2024 – Emiliana Reinoso ’24: Climate Ecologies through Art (Uruguay, Brazil, New Zealand)
- 2022 – Jasper White ’22: Global Responses to Chytridiomycosis (Ghana, Australia, Panama)
US government’s flagship program for international study and research.
Examples of recent Fulbright projects include:
- 2017 – Natasha Krell ’16: Climate Variability and Community Resilience in Kenya
- 2015 – Eliza Oldach ’15: Ecology of marsh and mussel communities in New Zealand
Supporting environmental and Native American student leaders.
COA’s Udall recipients and honorable mentions include:
- 2017: Kimberly Lopez Castellanos ’18
- 2016: Laura H. Berry ’17
- 2012: Rachel G. Briggs ’13
- 2008: Matthew A. Maiorana ’11
$10,000 awards for grassroots peacebuilding initiatives worldwide.
Students have launched programs in over a dozen countries, such as:
- 2024 – Valentina Dereani ’27: Community Seed Bank for Kenyan Food Systems (Kenya)
- 2023 – Alejandra Morales Torres ’22: Emotional Education for Children in Border Communities (Mexico)
- 2022 – Taibatou Adamou ’22 and Aniruddha Jaydeokar ’23:Empower Women Entrepreneurs (Niger)
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