Rose-Hulman has earned recognition as one of America's top "Green" colleges for the third consecutive year, showcasing its commitment to a sustainable and healthy campus environment for students, faculty, and staff.

The Princeton Review cites Rose-Hulman in the 2025 edition of the Guide to Green Colleges after surveying college administrators and students about their institutions’ programs, policies, and practices related to sustainability and the environment. More than 25 data points were analyzed in the selection of schools for the guide.

Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons points out that infusing sustainability into the Institute’s education and culture is a key theme of the “Advancing by Design” strategic plan, preparing students to become engineers, scientists, and mathematicians able to address complex global problems like climate change.

"Sustainability has been a cornerstone of Rose-Hulman's footprint, and it's an even more crucial element of our vision for the future,” Coons said. “As we implement our strategic plan, we're not just committed to sustainable development that meets current needs—we're actively shaping a campus that empowers future generations. The new Innovation Grove complex exemplifies this forward-thinking approach, serving as a hub where cutting-edge sustainable technologies will be practiced and implemented, while also providing valuable educational opportunities for our students. This initiative, along with our other sustainability efforts, positions Rose-Hulman at the forefront of green innovation in higher education, preparing our students to be leaders in creating a more sustainable world."

The strategic plan has programs to implement projects and programs that reduce campus consumption of non-renewable resources, reuse and reclaim resources and waste, produce renewable energy on campus, and enhance learning and training opportunities and experiences in sustainability for students, faculty, and staff.

The Institute’s new Innovation Grove District includes plans for a 5-megawatt solar farm that will provide the campus with a renewable energy source. It will significantly reduce the district’s carbon footprint while promoting clean energy practices on campus. Meanwhile, an Innovation Trails project within the district, connecting to the broader Wabash Valley trail system, will encourage healthy and active lifestyles within the Rose-Hulman and local communities.

Also, the renamed Fowler Academic Building became Indiana’s first building to earn full WELL Certification from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) for design and technology that enhances the health, wellness, and human experience.

Renovations to Moench Hall, the Institute’s largest academic building, improved energy efficiencies through a new top floor skylight, roof replacement, and completely new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Other campus academic and residence life buildings are being designed or redesigned with an emphasis on sustainability, energy efficiency, and safety. Moench Hall and Mussallem Union have living walls that bring green spaces indoors to help students, faculty, and staff relax in between classes.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry became Indiana’s first higher education institution to adopt a Green Chemistry Commitment that incorporates green chemistry theory and practice into classes and educating students that will develop a sustainable future.

Rose-Hulman offers a sustainability minor to complement students’ interests in science, engineering, and mathematics, while an Introduction to Sustainability course has students learning about the basics of ecology, climate change, and systems thinking. There are also opportunities for students to take spring break trips to examine sustainable practices in other areas of the world. 

A student-led bicycle sharing initiative has been very popular, and several student capstone design projects have enhanced community gardens and other services provided by Terre Haute’s reTHink, Inc., a non-profit group of local citizens committed to promoting environmental sustainability within the community. Several faculty members are reTHink volunteers.

Rose-Hulman has been consistently recognized with the Tree Campus Higher Education designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for its continued commitment to effective urban forest management and engaging students, faculty, and staff members in conservation goals. Nearly 250,000 trees are spread throughout the institute’s 1,300-acre campus.

For those interested in becoming a part of this “Green” community, Rose-Hulman’s Early Action deadline to apply for the 2025-26 school year is Nov. 1, 2024. Apply at www.rose-hulman.edu/apply.