The 10 Best Universities for Studying Cleantech

These days, cleantech is becoming more and more prominent. From office buildings to how we commute, more of the conversation now revolves around cleantech then ever before. But what if you’re a college student looking to study cleantech? Below you’ll find 10 of the most well known and well respected universities that offer a solid course load in all things cleantech.

Silicon Valley

UC Berkeley – The sixties are long dead, and the Berkeley campus is a center of serious study. Top ranking programs in engineering, ecology, and public policy attract bright minds and plenty of grant money.

Stanford – Effectively an Ivy League transplanted to the San Francisco Bay Area, Stanford is renowned for the quality of its students and the caliber of professors it attracts. Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, a huge number of Silicon Valley Cleantech startups are run by Stanford grads.

San Jose State – A surprising pick to some, San Jose gets major Cleantech points for its affordability and its location in the largest urban center adjacent to Silicon Valley. Consistently rated as one of the best schools in the California University System, San Jose State is a good choice for green studies.

Tech Cred

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Its hard to argue with MIT for studying Cleantech. The university is renowned for the ability of its professors and students in the math, science, and engineering disciplines. MIT students are perpetually on the cutting edge, whether they are building more efficient hybrid vehicles or exotic solar cells.

University of Texas in Austin – Texas? Don’t underestimate (or mess with) Texas. UT in Austin is home to some of top researchers in Cleantech. While many people may perceive oil companies as the heart of all evil when it comes to green tech, they are in fact some of the biggest investors in alternate energy – and plenty of them have offices in Texas.

California Institute of Technology – More famous for its participation in NASA projects than in Cleantech, research supporting travel outside Earth’s atmosphere has surprisingly many applications on this green planet. After all, Earth is a sort of spaceship itself.

Classes on the Beach

UC San Diego – UCSD attracts some of the highest ratios of grant funding per professor in the nation. Located in an ecologically sensitive area and home to some of the best weather on the planet, UCSD is worth a hard look.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo – Quietly, Cal Poly turns out some of the best engineers in the highest numbers of any California university. What it lacks in nearness to the heart of the industry it makes up in its concentration of like minds.

The Northwest

Oregon State University – The Northwest is way ahead of the game in Cleantech innovation, and OSU leads the charge. Holding federal grants in virtually every area of science and engineering, OSU is at the forefront in the design and marketing of Cleantech.

Lewis and Clark University – A private liberal arts college, Lewis and Clark is home to some of the most respected scholars dealing with environmental issues. In addition, the law school on campus is rated number one nationwide in environmental law.