College of the Atlantic, located in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine, provides many opportunities for st...College of the Atlantic, located in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine, provides many opportunities for students to work on sustainability issues, which is part of why it is Princeton Review’s #1 green college.

For the seventh year in a row, College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor is No. 1 on Princeton Review’s list of Top 50 Green Colleges.

The school’s green distinctions are many. Actions to reduce its footprint as part of a long-term strategy include phasing out single-use plastics; reducing, recycling and composting waste; transitioning to renewable sources; sourcing food sustainably; and using non-toxic cleaning products.

Under construction now is a 12,000-square-foot dormitory designed to passive house principles, featuring airtight construction, a high-efficiency envelope, heat-recovery ventilation, mass-timber construction, wood-fiber insulation and a rooftop solar array.

Recent green initiatives include construction of a 30,000-square-foot academic center designed according to passive house principles, including site selection, solar orientation, use of local and recycled materials and onsite renewable energy.

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