What are the best colleges and universities in Vermont if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Vermont deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Vermont’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Vermont’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
71%
Student body
<1K
Bennington College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
75%
Student body
2K
Saint Michael's College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
57%
Student body
4K
Norwich University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
22%
Graduation
94%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1445/33
Middlebury College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
76%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/28
University of Vermont’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
55%
Graduation
34%
Student body
<1K
Landmark College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
16%
Student body
<1K
Sterling College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$43K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
66%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/26
Champlain College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$16K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
64%
Student body
1K
Vermont Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
Johnson State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
38%
Student body
<1K
Goddard College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
57%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1019/20
Castleton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Vermont is home to five public universities and colleges. Among these is the state’s largest school, the University of Vermont in Burlington. This college serves almost 13,000 students and boasts alumni like Ben Affleck and John Dewey. The majority of the higher education institutes in Vermont are private schools. Tuition at these schools ranges greatly, from $17,000 to $57,000. Though it is the most expensive private school in the state, Landmark College in Putney is especially unique as its student population is made up entirely of students diagnosed with learning disabilities, attention disorders, and autism. Students here can earn degrees in fields like psychology, studio art, and life science while participating in a more intimate, student-centered learning environment.
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Almost all of Vermont’s schools could be considered small schools, serving student populations of 5,000 or less. Included on this list are three religiously affiliated schools, like Saint Michael’s College in Colchester. While tuition in Vermont tends to be costly, the state offers several loan forgiveness programs to qualifying dentists, physicians, nurses, and lawyers who work for nonprofits.
While many travelers come to Vermont for its famous maple syrup and stunning fall foliage, they’ll stay for the state’s bounteous farmers markets, wineries, and artisan foods. The magnificent green mountains, pristine skiing resorts, and rugged hiking trails are also major draws for visitors and residents alike. Students aiming to earn their degree while enjoying the outdoors and eating locally-sourced meals can attend one of Vermont’s 22 higher learning institutes.
Learn more about Vermont’s higher education opportunities by checking out the state’s array of picturesque colleges and universities.