Best Private Colleges in Vermont 2025
Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Vermont.
Key Takeaways
- Vermont’s best private colleges often provide small class sizes and individualized attention from faculty, fostering a personalized educational experience where students can form meaningful connections with both professors and peers.
- Many of the best private colleges in Vermont emphasize sustainability and environmental studies, offering students unique opportunities to engage in hands-on ecological research and conservation efforts, which aligns with the state’s natural landscape and environmental values.
- With Vermont’s scenic landscapes, students have access to a wide range of outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and biking, which promote a healthy, active lifestyle and complement the college experience, appealing to those who enjoy nature and outdoor adventures.
Best Private Colleges in Vermont in 2025
2025 Ranking Update
Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.
In 2025, the top schools in our ranking of the best private colleges in Vermont saw a few slight changes. Bennington College was able to gain the top ranking position as the college expanded its Field Work Term program, offering more diverse internship opportunities both domestically and internationally, giving students real-world experience in their areas of interest.
Additionally, Bennington has enhanced its interdisciplinary curriculum, particularly in the arts and environmental studies, allowing for greater flexibility in course selection and project-based learning. The campus has also seen upgrades in sustainability initiatives, with new eco-friendly facilities and increased integration of sustainability into campus life, reflecting student interest in environmental responsibility.
This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 8 private universities in Vermont. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Vermont, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
Best Private Colleges in Vermont
- #2 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #1 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #2 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
45%
Graduation
69%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1315/31
Career Outlook for degree at Bennington College
Cost of Degree: $64,644Expenses: $22,640Starting Salary: $38,400Cost Recoup Time: 25 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Bennington College known for?
Bennington College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Education
- Political Science
- History
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
- #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #2 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #2 Best Grad Schools in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
94%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1482/34
Career Outlook for degree at Middlebury College
Cost of Degree: $65,280Expenses: $20,600Starting Salary: $71,900Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Middlebury College known for?
Middlebury College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Political Science
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- Economics
- Sociology
- Physics
- History
- Mathematics
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #3 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #4 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025 #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Vermont
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
61%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Norwich University
Cost of Degree: $49,600Expenses: $18,260Starting Salary: $57,100Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Norwich University known for?
Norwich University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Communications
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Vermont 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #4 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #5 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
57%
Student body
<1K
Career Outlook for degree at Goddard College
Cost of Degree: $19,568Expenses: $3,934Starting Salary: $39,700Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Goddard College known for?
Goddard College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #1 Best Christian Colleges in Vermont 2025 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #5 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
74%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1237/28
Career Outlook for degree at Saint Michael's College
Cost of Degree: $50,040Expenses: $19,182Starting Salary: $57,800Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Saint Michael's College known for?
Saint Michael's College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Communications
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Economics
- Literature
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
Most Influential Alumni
- #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #6 Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025 #7 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
64%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1255/29
Career Outlook for degree at Champlain College
Cost of Degree: $45,550Expenses: $20,384Starting Salary: $54,400Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Champlain College known for?
Champlain College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
45%
Graduation
34%
Student body
<1K
Career Outlook for degree at Landmark College
Cost of Degree: $64,290Expenses: $19,810Starting Salary: $31,800Cost Recoup Time: 27 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Landmark College known for?
Landmark College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$39K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
30%
Student body
<1K
What is Sterling College known for?
Sterling College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Vermont’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.
