The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) has been named a Top Performer in Research in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Of the nearly five hundred submissions received by AASHE, UMD was one of just 7% identified as Top Performers in Research, with UMD one of only three Master’s level institutions among them. Alongside the achievement, the University also earned its second Gold status rating from the AASHE.

“This recognition reflects the strength of our research community and this campus’ deep commitment to sustainability,” UMD Chancellor Charles Nies said. “We’re proud to be in the company of other Top Performers in Research like Yale, McGill, UC Merced, and the University of Minnesota’s Crookston campus. We’re even prouder still that our faculty, staff, and students are driving meaningful change, here and beyond, through research and innovation.”

Alongside the updated ratings, AASHE released the Sustainable Campus Index, a publication that recognizes top-performing sustainable colleges and universities overall and in 13 impact areas, as measured through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS^®).

“This is the second time UMD's overall efforts have earned Gold status from the premier sustainability assessment agency for higher ed institutions, and we’ve maintained and improved our overall score from 2019,” Jonna Korpi, director of sustainability at UMD, said. “This year, UMD was singled out as a Top Performer in Research in the Sustainable Campus Index—one of only 35 institutions from the 473 submissions recognized for their research efforts. It’s a real distinction for the University.”

Key Facts of UMD’s Top Performer status:

• 97% of UMD’s 32 academic departments participate in sustainability-related research.
• 43.4% of research-conducting employees engaged in sustainability research.
• Just 35 institutions of the 473 submissions were recognized as Top Performers in Research in this year's Sustainable Campus Index.
• UMD was one of only three Master's level institutions named a 2025 Top Performer in Research.

This recognition builds on UMD’s ongoing sustainability progress, marking its second consecutive Gold rating in the STARS system. It also reflects the campus’ contributions to the University of Minnesota’s overall performance in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which measure achievements toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“On behalf of all of us at AASHE, I congratulate the University of Minnesota Duluth for its recognition as a Top Performer in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index,” Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE executive director, said. “This achievement underscores not only your institution’s dedication to advancing sustainability, but also the resilience of higher education at a time of significant global and societal challenges. Your progress serves as inspiration for students, staff, and faculty everywhere who are working to integrate sustainability into their daily lives and professional practice.”

UMD’s full STARS report is publicly available online.

Image: Students studying plant identification in a biology class learn how to pull invasive buckthorn in the field. Credit: University of Minnesota Duluth
Header Image: UMD’s sustainability efforts happen across the campus and disciplines, and are an integral part of research activity, like with the work of Craig Hill, assistant professor of engineering, whose research looks into harvesting wave energy on the Great Lakes. Hill’s research was highlighted in the AASHE 2025 Sustainable Campus Index. Credit: University of Minnesota Duluth