Best Colleges in Vermont of 2024

With just a 22% acceptance rate, Middlebury College stands out on this list as having the most selective admissions standards among private schools. It also has the highest graduation rate (93%) of private schools. This small liberal arts school offers 40 undergraduate departments and programs. Its Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies was the first program of its kind in the United States when it was started in 1965 and remains a popular major. The college itself was founded in 1880 and counts among its notable graduates Alexander Twilight, the first African American to graduate from a college in the United States. The student-to-faculty ratio at Middlebury is one of the lowest in the country at 8:1, and class sizes average 16 students or fewer. Its campus is located in west-central Vermont in the small town of Middlebury.

Founded in 1791, the University of Vermont is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the nation. Located in Burlington, it's Vermont's flagship public university and is known for its progressive student body and commitment to social justice. The school was the first in the nation to admit women and African Americans into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and is one of the top producers of Peace Corps members in the nation. The university has seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine that is one of the oldest in the nation. UVM awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and boasts five pre-professional undergraduate programs in pre-dental, pre-law, pre-medicine, pre-physical therapy, and pre-veterinary. UVM stands out on this list for having the highest graduation rate among public schools in the state.

Bennington College is a small private liberal arts school located in the vibrant and artsy small town of Bennington, Vermont. It was founded as an all-girls school in the 1930s. Today it is coeducational and has a student body of about 1,000 undergraduates and graduates from around the world. Bennington was the first college in the country to require an annual internship to graduate. Called the Field Work Term, all Bennington undergraduates participate in six weeks of an off-campus internship, fellowship, volunteer experience, independent study, or other hands-on experience each year. Tuition is not charged for the Field Work Term and students with need may even receive a $500 stipend for travel expenses.

Located outside the city of Burlington, Vermont, Saint Michael's College is a small private school founded by Catholic Edmundite priests in 1904. Today, the school continues to operate on the guiding principles of its founders, which are education, justice, and service to the poor. The school is a fully residential campus, which means on-campus housing is guaranteed for all four years of undergraduate study and 92% of its almost 1,700 students utilize it. Academically, Saint Michael's offers 40 undergraduate majors, including bachelor's degrees in Equity Studies, International Relations, and Criminology. The school also offers a unique Peace Corps Prep program for undergraduates, which is a certificate course of study for students hoping to volunteer with the Peace Corps upon graduation.

Norwich University is a private military college located in Northfield, Vermont. Founded in 1819, it's the oldest private military college in the United States. It's also the birthplace of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), which is the officer training program for commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Additionally, Norwich was the first university in the nation to teach engineering as a standalone subject. Engineering remains a popular undergraduate and graduate program at the university, which also offers degrees in the areas of business, nursing, architecture, art, and languages. Its Senator Patrick Leahy School of Cybersecurity and Advanced Computing has been recognized by federal agencies as one of the top in the nation for cyber defense education and digital forensics academic excellence.

In 2008, the state of Vermont unified two of its small public schools - Johnson State College and Lyndon State College - into one larger entity named Northern Vermont University. The university maintains both campuses in the towns of Johnson and Lyndonville, which are located about 50 miles apart. Depending on what you wish to study, you will most likely want to live on or around the campus that offers it. Both campuses offer some of the more larger and generalized majors, like environmental studies, accounting, and business, but the Lyndon campus offers some of the more niche majors like mountain resort management, music business and industry, and photography. Students can take courses on both campuses. Altogether, Northern Vermont University offers 50 associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs.

Champlain College is a small private school that overlooks Lake Champlain in Vermont and also has campuses in Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland. Because of these international locations, 52% of Champlain College students study abroad during their undergraduate years - a much higher rate than the national average of 10%. The school also offers a unique curriculum called Upside Down, in which students take significant courses in their major beginning their first semester of study. Undergraduate majors at Champlain College are highly innovative and heavy on experiential learning. They include a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation, a Bachelor of Science in Game Art, and a Bachelor of Science in App Development. Champlain College was founded in 1878 and currently has 2,200 undergraduate students from 44 states and 18 countries.

Landmark College is a pioneering private school in the town of Putney, Vermont, for students who learn differently. The school was founded in 1985 and specializes in providing customized education to students with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and other diagnosed learning disabilities. Landmark College was the first institution of higher learning for students with dyslexia. It offers associate and bachelor's degrees and boasts an extraordinary student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. Degree choices include an Associate of Arts in Business Studies, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The school's Office of Career Connections works closely with students beginning their first year and offers an innovative Employment Readiness Experience to help students learn professional skills while working on campus. Students also have the option of living on campus in residential dorms staffed by professionals and a Resident Dean.

Founded in 1787, Castleton University is the oldest institution of higher education in the state of Vermont and one of the 20 oldest schools in the nation. This historic school has a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, which is excellent among public schools. Additionally, 98% of faculty hold the highest degree in their fields. The school offers 75 undergraduate programs, as well as several graduate programs. Castleton's innovative Bachelor of Arts in Ecological Studies offers opportunities to study abroad with faculty to learn in places like the rainforests of Costa Rica, reefs off of St. John, and thermal springs in Iceland. Another unique, hands-on major is Castleton's Bachelor of Arts in Resort and Hospitality Management, where students spend time living and working at Castleton Lodge at Killington Ski Resort. The program is taught by staff from the ski resort and faculty members from the business school.