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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University has been named to the Princeton Review's 2012 Green Rating Honor Roll - the only university in Oregon to achieve the distinction.

The ratings were announced this week and OSU is among 16 U.S. colleges and universities given top honors by the Princeton Review for receiving the highest possible score (99) in its Green Rating tallies this year.

OSU was joined by Harvard, University of Washington and University of California-Santa Cruz as exemplars of environmentally conscious practices, policies and academic offerings. The results were published in the "Best 376 Colleges" guidebook.

Criteria for the green review include a healthy and more sustainable campus life, students who are prepared for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges and the school's commitment overall to environmental issues.

"Updated in 2009, OSU's strategic plan clearly emphasizes sustainability as an institutional priority," said Brandon Trelstad, OSU's sustainability coordinator. "I think we're seeing the results of that strategic commitment play out in various ways, like the recognition from the Princeton Review."

Last month, OSU became the second-largest purchaser of green power of any university in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's Top 20 College & University list of green power purchasers.

In April, The Princeton Review's annual Green Guide to Colleges listed OSU among universities nationwide that are demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.