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The Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released the second annual edition of "The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges," which profiles 308 colleges in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

The 220-page book, which can be downloaded for free at The Princeton Review's Web site, includes school profiles with application, admission, financial aid and student enrollment information, as well as "Green Highlights" write-ups covering each school's most impressive sustainability initiatives, and "Green Facts" sidebars detailing everything from the school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies programs and green jobs career guidance.

"College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues," says Robert Franek, senior vice president of publishing at The Princeton Review. "Among 8,200 college applicants who participated in our spring 2011 'College Hopes & Worries Survey,' nearly 7 out of 10 (69 percent) told us that having information about a school's commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school."

The 311 schools in the book were selected based on a survey The Princeton Review conducted in 2010 to tally its annual "Green Rating" scores (from 60 to 99) for school profiles in its college guidebooks and on its Web site. The survey included more than 50 questions regarding each institution's sustainability-related policies, practices and programs.

The schools selected for the guide received "Green Rating" scores of 80 or above, and the following 18 colleges received a perfect rating of 99: Arizona State University at the Tempe campus, College of the Atlantic, The Evergreen State College, George Institute of Technology, Harvard College, Northeastern University, Northland College, State University of New York at Binghamton, Unity College, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of California-Santa Cruz, University of Georgia, University of Maine, University of Maryland-College Park, Warren Wilson College, West Virginia University, and Yale University.

"A green campus can transform the college experience for students through enhanced sustainability education and by creating healthy living and learning environments all while saving energy, water and money as part of an institution's bottom line," says USGBC president, CEO and founding chair Rick Fedrizzi.

To learn about related programs of study, visit the Schools.com environmental science page.