Summary
Details
- Global
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) applies to colleges, universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and other higher education institutions worldwide. Other educational organizations may also participate with AASHE approval.
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Background
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System STARS was launched by AASHE in 2010 to provide a transparent and comprehensive framework for assessing sustainability in higher education. The framework evaluates sustainability across teaching, research, operations, community engagement, and institutional governance. It is intended for institutions at all stages of their sustainability journey, from those beginning to develop sustainability programs to universities with mature sustainability strategies.
The framework is self-reporting, allowing participating institutions to collect and publish sustainability data using a common methodology. This enables benchmarking across institutions while encouraging continual improvement rather than competition through rankings. Published reports are publicly accessible, promoting transparency and knowledge sharing throughout the higher education community.
Assessment and Recognition
Institutions participate in STARS by collecting sustainability data and submitting it through the online STARS Reporting Tool using standardized criteria and documentation requirements. The framework evaluates performance across four core categories:
Academics: Sustainability in curriculum, research, and student learning.
Engagement: Campus culture, outreach, partnerships, and community engagement.
Operations: Energy, greenhouse gas emissions, buildings, water, waste, transportation, procurement, dining, and other operational impacts.
Planning & Administration: Governance, sustainability planning, investments, diversity, employee wellbeing, affordability, and institutional policies.
Institutions may submit either a scored or an unscored report. Scored reports are reviewed by AASHE before publication, and participating institutions may earn one of five recognition levels: Reporter, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, depending on their overall score. Ratings remain valid for three years, although institutions may submit updated reports more frequently to reflect improvements in sustainability performance.
Current Status
STARS 3.0 is the current version of the framework, having been launched in June 2024 following a multi-year revision process involving higher education institutions and sustainability practitioners. The updated framework expands coverage of social equity and justice issues, simplifies reporting requirements, and places greater emphasis on measurable performance indicators. AASHE continues to refine the framework through periodic technical updates while supporting a growing international community of participating institutions.
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