The University of Washington was recognized among the national leaders in higher education sustainability by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
AASHE’s 2023 Sustainable Campus Index recognizes the UW’s Seattle campus as a top performer in Purchasing (No. 2 overall) and Transportation (No. 9). UW Bothell shared the top overall spot for Grounds with Cascadia College (the two schools share the Bothell campus), and was tied for No. 2 overall in the Water category.
The Sustainable Campus Index uses information from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) administered by AASHE. More than 350 schools have active STARS ratings and were considered for the 2023 Sustainable Campus Index.
STARS ratings are valid for three years, and then universities must submit new information through the AASHE STARS process for review and verification. The UW submitted its most recent self-reported assessment in 2022 and received a gold rating, with a score of 70.78 percent. STARS reports are publicly available, and the University of Washington's STARS report is available here.