Why This Matters

  • 12 COLLEGES IN VERMONT

    According to College Navigator, there are four public universities and eight private non-profit colleges in Vermont.

  • $17,750 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    The average in-state tuition and fees are estimated to be $17,750 for Vermont residents. This is before any financial aid is considered.

  • $14,800 FINANCIAL AID PER U.S. STUDENT

    The average student received $14,800 during the 2020-21 academic year, according to College Board.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar schools in Vermont. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a reputable organization that examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education programs in the northeastern United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 12 Colleges in Vermont

Best Colleges In Vermont
01
Intelligent Pick
The University of Vermont
01
Best Private Institution
Middlebury College
01
Best Hands-on Learning
Bennington College
01
Best Faith-based Institution
Saint Michael's College
01
Best Military School
Norwich University
01
Best Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Castleton University
01
Best Technology Degrees
Vermont Technical College
01
Best for Study Abroad
Champlain College
01
Best Public Institution
Northern Vermont University
01
Most Innovative
Landmark College
01

Goddard College
01

Sterling College

 

What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Vermont

As you consider different college options, think about how a degree will prepare you for the workforce and a career. As of October 2021, Vermont’s top five industries for employment were education and health services; government; trade, transportation, and utilities; goods-producing; and retail trade.

For professionals who have a college degree, there are a number of growing career fields in Vermont. The state’s fastest growing careers for workers with a bachelor’s degree are data scientists, information security analysts, coaches and scouts, interpreters and translators, and logisticians. Having a degree that’s relevant to one of these fields could help you secure employment after finishing school.

Some of the biggest employers in Vermont are Killington Grand Resort, Smugglers Notch Resort, the University of Vermont Medical Center, the Howard Center for Human Services, and the University of Vermont. There are many other employers who have a substantial number of workers as well.

What’s Next?

As you review the different colleges in Vermont, investigate the financial aid that you might qualify for. Here are some federal and state financial aid resources to help you identify scholarship, grant, and other opportunities in Vermont.

  • Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). The VSAC has information on financial aid, including loans, grants, and scholarships that Vermont college students may be able to take advantage of.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). College students in the United States are awarded over $120 billion in financial aid each year. This aid is given out by the Department of Education. Find out whether you qualify with the Aid Estimator, and apply via this online form.
  • CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop is a place to find lots of grant and scholarship details. Opportunities for grants and scholarships can be sorted by state, award amount, application requirements, application deadlines, and other criteria.