The University of Massachusetts has been named one of the most successful schools in the country and Canada to “go green,” according to a new guide released by the Princeton Review.

According to a release by the UMass News Office, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges” praised UMass for its water and energy conservation techniques of the Central Heating Plant. The guide also explains how new buildings on campus were constructed using sustainable designs.

Other campus organizations mentioned in the guide include the College of Natural Sciences, the Office of Waste Management, UMass Dining Services and UMass Fleet Services.

Five College schools Smith College and Hampshire College also were included in the list of 311.

As a whole, schools in Massachusetts fared well in the ranking, with 22 colleges from the state landing somewhere on the list – making the Commonwealth the third highest ranking state in the country on the list. Boston schools, including UMass Boston, were also well represented.

However, New York has the highest number of green schools on the list, totaling 38. California came in second in the ranking of total schools, with 29, while Pennsylvania ranks fourth, with 20 schools. Three states – Illinois, North Carolina and Virginia – each have 10 representatives.

The list also includes four schools from Washington, D.C. and three schools from Canada. Forty-eight states have some representation, with Nebraska and Nevada being the only exceptions.

According to the UMass press release, the guide “is the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.”

Schools were chosen based on the results of a survey issued to college administrators last year, the UMass press release noted. Administrators were instructed to answer questions about their school’s sustainability practices. “Green ratings” were then scored and scaled from 60 to 99, and the guide includes all schools that scored above 80, the release states.

– ­Collegian News Staff