SJSU Rises in New STARS Sustainability Rankings

SJSU ranked #6 nationally among master’s institutions in the AASHE 2022 STARS Top Performers List.

San José State University’s sustainability efforts continue to garner attention, as the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) ranked SJSU #6 among master’s institutions internationally in their 2022 STARS Top Performers list. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. 

This is a rise of two spots since last year’s rankings, which were released as part of AASHE’s 2022 Sustainable Campus Index, which “recognizes top-performing colleges and universities overall and in 17 sustainability impact areas.” 

“This recognition reflects the environmental strides SJSU has made in recent years in our facilities, waste management, energy and greenhouse gas emissions, among other areas,” said SJSU Interim President Steve Perez. “Becoming a leader in sustainability can only be achieved with a dedicated team effort. I’m proud of the collaborative work of our Spartan students, faculty, staff and administrators from across our campus that led to our high ranking.”

SJSU currently holds a STARS Gold rating. More than 570 institutions in 20 countries participate in the STARS program — the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting comprehensive information related to a college or university’s sustainability performance.

Participant universities report achievements in five overall areas: 1) academics, 2) engagement, 3) operations, 4) planning and administration, and 5) innovation and leadership. SJSU earned a near perfect score in innovation and leadership, with the university’s curriculum and research, campus engagement in sustainability efforts, and diversity and affordability also earning high marks in the STARS scoring areas.  

“I’m really proud of the progress of the sustainability efforts at SJSU,” said Senior Sustainability Program Lead Debbie Andres, ’07 Chemical Engineering. “There are now many courses offered that focus on sustainability, solar panel installations at Main and South Campus, and more events and programming offered to students and the SJSU community that spread awareness of our efforts and teach sustainability principles. I fully believe that SJSU is only getting started with showing that we are a leading institution for sustainability — not just in the CSU system but nationwide.”

Among SJSU sustainability efforts was the launch of the inaugural Sustainability Faculty Cohort — a group of 10 faculty members who included sustainability modules into their curriculum last year. 

Learn more about the sustainability at SJSU.