American Public Education - Corporate Responsibility

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Across our subsidiaries, APEI is investing in technologies and programs that will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint and we are always exploring new strategies for minimizing waste and conserving water. As a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, APUS has long been dedicated to achieving carbon-neutrality.

APUS is APEI’s largest subsidiary. As an online institution requiring no physical classrooms or long commutes, we affirm that APUS has an inherently lower carbon footprint than many brick-and-mortar universities.

Our long-term environmental goal is to emit less than 0.1 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per full time enrollment (FTE) per year by 2030.

Practicing What We Teach

We take pride in the fact that the Bachelor of Environmental Science program is among the ten most popular programs at APUS. Our administrative facilities include two LEED Certified buildings, both constructed with low VOC materials. We use Green Seal products for all cleaning and kitchen supplies and have an enterprise-wide recycling program that includes batteries, paper, plastic, metal, cardboard and light bulbs. We provide convenient, dedicated parking spaces for employees who carpool and provide 15 charging stations for electric vehicles at our headquarters in Charles Town, West Virginia.

West Virginia’s Largest Solar Array

Constructed in 2011, our finance center in Charles Town, West Virginia is powered by the state’s largest solar array. With 1,600 solar panels, the installation generates 480,000 kilowatts of electricity a year—enough to power 30 private homes.