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From a campus carpool program to a strategy to reduce food waste, the University of Portland has charted a careful course to going green, and that effort has gained attention.

For the second straight year, the private university was named one of the country’s 311 top green colleges by the Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review started the list last year, producing it with the help of the U.S. Green Building Council. Schools were selected for the 2011 list based on the survey the Princeton Review conducted last year at 703 colleges in the U.S. and Canada.

The survey asked school administrators to answer more than 50 questions, with answers ranked on a scale. Once scores were tallied, schools with scores of 80 or above were included on the 2011 list.

The University of Portland’s commitment to sustainability includes: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification for a campus building; a decision to stop selling water in disposable plastic bottles in dining halls, vending machines and other retail locations; and creation of a student community garden that provides food for local families. The school also switched to an a la carte menu in its dining halls to reduce food waste.