Two Egyptian universities, Alexandria University and the American University in Cairo, have received international recognition for their sustainability efforts in rankings released by two separate organisations in recent months. Both institutions were recognised as the leading universities in Africa in their respective assessments.
Alexandria University earned the distinction in the 2025 UI GreenMetric Ranking, published by the University of Indonesia last month. Meanwhile, the American University in Cairo secured the same honour in the 2026 edition of the Princeton Review’s annual Guide to Green Colleges, published in October.
Alexandria University Ranked Among Global Green Leaders
The 2025 UI GreenMetric Ranking evaluates universities using 39 indicators linked to environmental commitment and sustainability initiatives. The assessment covers six major categories including infrastructure, energy, water, waste, transport, and education and research.
Egypt emerged as the most represented African country in the ranking, with 38 universities included overall and 17 institutions appearing in the continent’s top 20. Alexandria University achieved 171st place globally out of 1,745 ranked institutions, placing it within the top decile worldwide.
University president Abdelaziz Konsowa said in a news release that the achievement reflected the institution’s determination to apply global sustainability standards by promoting clean energy and creating an environmentally friendly campus.
The Egyptian cabinet also praised Alexandria University and other national institutions for their progress in environmental performance and the green transition. In a statement released this week, the cabinet said the ranking demonstrated the continuing efforts of Egyptian higher education institutions to integrate sustainability into campus life.
Arab Universities Continue to Improve Sustainability Performance
Other Arab countries in Africa represented in the 2025 UI GreenMetric Ranking included Algeria and Tunisia with seven universities each, Morocco with four, and Libya with one institution.
Outside Africa, Iraq recorded the highest representation among Arab nations with 88 institutions. Saudi Arabia followed with 21 universities, Jordan with 12, and Palestine with 11. Bahrain and Syria each had four institutions on the list, while Lebanon, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates each had three. Kuwait and Yemen both had two universities represented.
Three Arab universities secured places within the global top 100. The University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates ranked 38th, Jordan’s Al-Balqa Applied University placed 42nd, and Saudi Arabia’s Qassim University ranked 61st.
American University in Cairo Earns Green Guide Recognition
The Princeton Review’s latest Guide to Green Colleges marks the seventh occasion in the past decade that the American University in Cairo has been included in the publication’s leading group of environmentally conscious universities.
This year, AUC received a score of 90 out of 99, reflecting its efforts to integrate sustainability practices across campus operations, academic programmes, and community engagement.
The Princeton Review, a United States based education services company with no affiliation to Princeton University, has published the Green Guide annually since 2010. Most institutions featured in the guide are based in North America. Of the 388 universities included this year, all but 20 were located in the United States, Canada, or Mexico.
The rankings are determined using data from 25 indicators, drawing on surveys completed by university administrators alongside student feedback.
AUC Recognised for Sustainability Planning and Education
The American University in Cairo was one of only two African institutions included in this year’s guide. The second was Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. Elsewhere in the Arab region, three universities from the United Arab Emirates were featured, including the American University of Sharjah, Higher Colleges of Technology, and the University of Sharjah.
In a news release, the American University in Cairo said it was proud to be included in the Green Guide.
“AUC is recognised once again for its continued and enhanced sustainability initiatives across operations, academics and community engagement.”
Yasmin Mansour, Director of Sustainability-AUC
Mansour added that the university had been recognised for its strong performance in sustainability planning, reducing the environmental impact of university operations, and promoting a campus culture focused on sustainability. She also noted that the institution was commended for offering academic programmes that prepare students for careers in sustainability and clean energy.
Rob Franek, the Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, congratulated all universities featured in the 2026 edition of the guide.
“We highly recommend these schools to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a green one,” he said in a news release.
