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Raritan Valley Community College has been recognized as the top community college in the United States for its sustainability efforts in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index.

A publication from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Campus Index recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 13 impact areas, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®).

This is the 11th year in a row that RVCC has been recognized nationally for its sustainability efforts by AASHE. RVCC earned a Gold rating in AASHE STARS in 2022. STARS measures and encourages environmental, social, and economic sustainability in higher education.

“We are very honored that Raritan Valley Community College’s proven track record in reducing its carbon footprint is being acknowledged by AASHE, earning RVCC the distinction as the top community college in the United States for its sustainability efforts. The College’s commitment to sustainability is one of the central themes of its new, five-year Strategic Plan, which calls on RVCC to “lead with sustainability by embedding environmentally responsible practices within educational experiences and every aspect of campus operations,” said RVCC President Michael J. McDonough.

With more than 1,200 participants in 56 countries, AASHE’s STARS program is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership.

“All of us at AASHE are delighted to highlight Raritan Valley Community College in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index,” said AASHE’s Executive Director, Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Your innovative and high-impact initiative demonstrates what is possible when colleges and universities embrace sustainability as a core value. By modeling bold action, your institution inspires peers across higher education and strengthens the collective progress we are making toward addressing global sustainability challenges.”

Sustainability is an important part of the campus fabric at RVCC, which has cut its campus energy emissions by 58% since 2005. The College is River Friendly, as well as a Bee Campus USA affiliate and Monarch Watch certified. RVCC has three solar installations, a greenhouse, 12 new publicly available electric car charging stations, a green roof and a green wall, numerous pollinator gardens, a rain garden, three rainwater harvesting systems, and three buildings built to LEED standards. In 2009 RVCC was the first community college in the nation to sign an environmental stewardship agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency.

About RVCC

Ranked by WalletHub.com, Intelligent.com, and CollegeEvaluator.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community and environmental stewardship. It is home to  a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and 3M Observatory; a Theatre offering professional performances for all ages; and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers approximately 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

About STARS

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS®) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was developed by AASHE with broad participation from the higher education community. The credits included in STARS span the breadth of higher education sustainability and are organized into four categories: Academics, Engagement, Operations, and Planning & Administration. All reports are publicly accessible on the STARS website. For more information, visit https://stars.aashe.org.

About AASHE

AASHE empowers higher education administrators, faculty, staff, and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. We work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges. For more information, visit www.aashe.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 22, 2025

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #24