Colleges and Universities in Vermont
I. Top Vermont Colleges (6 of the Top Colleges in Vermont)
For a small state, Vermont has some excellent choices for higher education. My top picks for the state range in size from a small and quirky liberal arts college of a few hundred students to a public university with over 13,000. The admissions standards vary greatly, so be sure to click on the profiles to learn more. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking; these six schools vary so much in mission and personality that any distinctions in rank would be dubious at best. Along with excellent academics, these Vermont colleges offer easy access to the state's world-class skiing, climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
Bennington College
Location: Bennington, Vermont
Enrollment: 811 (668 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: test-optional admissions, 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 12; students from 41 states and 13 countries; flexible self-designed curriculum; seven-week Field Work Term during which students study off campus and gain work experience
Champlain College
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 3,055 (2,749 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: career-focused private college
Distinctions: blending of the liberal arts with professional applications; interesting niche programs such as game design and radiography; opportunity to bring your own business to college for development; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; located adjacent to the University of Vermont and just blocks from Lake Champlain
Marlboro College
Location: Marlboro, Vermont
Enrollment: 330 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; rigorous yet relatively unstructured curriculum; 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 10; student-designed course of study in junior and senior years; 69% of graduates go on to graduate school
Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,482 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 16; highly selective admissions; strong language and study abroad programs
Saint Michael's College
Location: Colchester, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,460 (2,008 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; students from 33 states and 13 countries; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences; NCAA Division II athletic programs
University of Vermont
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 13,391 (11,382 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; rich and inclusive dating to 1791; "A+" on Sierra Club's environmental report card; member of the NCAA Division I America East Conference
II. IN-STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Burlington College
A small liberal arts college with an interdisciplinary and community-focused curriculum located in Burlington, Vermont
Castleton State College
a small public university located in Castleton, Vermont, a scenic town near Rutland
Champlain College
SAT scores, costs and admissions data for Champlain College
College of St. Joseph
A small Catholic liberal arts college located in Rutland, Vermont.
Green Mountain College
a small liberal arts college with an environmental focus located in Poultney, Vermont
Johnson State College
a public liberal arts college located in the Green Mountains of Northern Vermont
Landmark College
A small liberal arts college for students with learning difficulties. The campus is in Putney, Vermont.
Lyndon State College
a public liberal arts college located in Lyndon, Vermont
Marlboro College
a small student-centered liberal arts college located in Marlboro, Vermont
Middlebury College Profile
Admissions data and general information for Middlebury College.
Norwich University
SAT scores, costs and other admissions data for Norwich University
Saint Michael's College
SAT scores and other information for Saint Michael's College
Sterling College Vermont
A small liberal arts work college located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.
University of Vermont
SAT scores, costs and other admissions data for the University of Vermont
Vermont Technical College
a public technology-focused school offering associate's and bachelor's degrees located in Randolph Center, Vermont
III. Out-of-state colleges
These colleges and universities were chartered outside of Vermont, but are certified by the State Board of Education to offer credit-bearing courses or degrees in the state:
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Antioch New England Graduate School (NH)
Lebanon College (NH)
Nova Southeastern University (FL)
River Valley Community College
NOTE: The Skills Through Apprenticeship Retraining (“STAR”) Advanced Machine Tool Technology certificate program is the ONLY RVCC program approved in Vermont.
Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
Springfield College (MA)
Union Institute & University (Vermont College campus) (OH)
IV. SCHOOLS OFFERING CREDIT-BEARING COURSES
The following organizations play important roles in serving the higher education needs of Vermont residents.
Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC)
AVIC seeks to strengthen the quality of higher education offered by independent colleges in Vermont. AVIC’s Web site offers a map and concise information about Vermont’s 16 independent colleges.
Consortium of Vermont Colleges (CVC)
CVC promotes the wealth and diversity of higher education opportunities in Vermont and the state itself as an ideal setting for a college experience. The CVC Web site allows prospective students to search by major, receive information from over 20 Vermont colleges and provides information for international students. The CVC also organizes a week-long bus tour of over 15 college campuses for College Counselors.
Vermont Higher Education Council (VHEC)
VHEC explores and implements cooperative activities to strengthen higher education in Vermont. VHEC’s Web site offers a degree directory, higher education data and enrollment information.
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC)
VSAC works to keep higher education accessible to qualified Vermonters by providing financial and information resources about postsecondary education opportunities
I. Top Vermont Colleges (6 of the Top Colleges in Vermont)
For a small state, Vermont has some excellent choices for higher education. My top picks for the state range in size from a small and quirky liberal arts college of a few hundred students to a public university with over 13,000. The admissions standards vary greatly, so be sure to click on the profiles to learn more. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking; these six schools vary so much in mission and personality that any distinctions in rank would be dubious at best. Along with excellent academics, these Vermont colleges offer easy access to the state's world-class skiing, climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
Bennington College
Location: Bennington, Vermont
Enrollment: 811 (668 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: test-optional admissions, 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 12; students from 41 states and 13 countries; flexible self-designed curriculum; seven-week Field Work Term during which students study off campus and gain work experience
Champlain College
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 3,055 (2,749 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: career-focused private college
Distinctions: blending of the liberal arts with professional applications; interesting niche programs such as game design and radiography; opportunity to bring your own business to college for development; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; located adjacent to the University of Vermont and just blocks from Lake Champlain
Marlboro College
Location: Marlboro, Vermont
Enrollment: 330 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; rigorous yet relatively unstructured curriculum; 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 10; student-designed course of study in junior and senior years; 69% of graduates go on to graduate school
Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,482 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 16; highly selective admissions; strong language and study abroad programs
Saint Michael's College
Location: Colchester, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,460 (2,008 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; students from 33 states and 13 countries; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences; NCAA Division II athletic programs
University of Vermont
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 13,391 (11,382 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: public university
Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; rich and inclusive dating to 1791; "A+" on Sierra Club's environmental report card; member of the NCAA Division I America East Conference
II. IN-STATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Burlington College
A small liberal arts college with an interdisciplinary and community-focused curriculum located in Burlington, Vermont
Castleton State College
a small public university located in Castleton, Vermont, a scenic town near Rutland
Champlain College
SAT scores, costs and admissions data for Champlain College
College of St. Joseph
A small Catholic liberal arts college located in Rutland, Vermont.
Green Mountain College
a small liberal arts college with an environmental focus located in Poultney, Vermont
Johnson State College
a public liberal arts college located in the Green Mountains of Northern Vermont
Landmark College
A small liberal arts college for students with learning difficulties. The campus is in Putney, Vermont.
Lyndon State College
a public liberal arts college located in Lyndon, Vermont
Marlboro College
a small student-centered liberal arts college located in Marlboro, Vermont
Middlebury College Profile
Admissions data and general information for Middlebury College.
Norwich University
SAT scores, costs and other admissions data for Norwich University
Saint Michael's College
SAT scores and other information for Saint Michael's College
Sterling College Vermont
A small liberal arts work college located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont.
University of Vermont
SAT scores, costs and other admissions data for the University of Vermont
Vermont Technical College
a public technology-focused school offering associate's and bachelor's degrees located in Randolph Center, Vermont
III. Out-of-state colleges
These colleges and universities were chartered outside of Vermont, but are certified by the State Board of Education to offer credit-bearing courses or degrees in the state:
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Antioch New England Graduate School (NH)
Lebanon College (NH)
Nova Southeastern University (FL)
River Valley Community College
NOTE: The Skills Through Apprenticeship Retraining (“STAR”) Advanced Machine Tool Technology certificate program is the ONLY RVCC program approved in Vermont.
Southern New Hampshire University (NH)
Springfield College (MA)
Union Institute & University (Vermont College campus) (OH)
IV. SCHOOLS OFFERING CREDIT-BEARING COURSES
The following organizations play important roles in serving the higher education needs of Vermont residents.
Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC)
AVIC seeks to strengthen the quality of higher education offered by independent colleges in Vermont. AVIC’s Web site offers a map and concise information about Vermont’s 16 independent colleges.
Consortium of Vermont Colleges (CVC)
CVC promotes the wealth and diversity of higher education opportunities in Vermont and the state itself as an ideal setting for a college experience. The CVC Web site allows prospective students to search by major, receive information from over 20 Vermont colleges and provides information for international students. The CVC also organizes a week-long bus tour of over 15 college campuses for College Counselors.
Vermont Higher Education Council (VHEC)
VHEC explores and implements cooperative activities to strengthen higher education in Vermont. VHEC’s Web site offers a degree directory, higher education data and enrollment information.
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC)
VSAC works to keep higher education accessible to qualified Vermonters by providing financial and information resources about postsecondary education opportunities