Best Small Colleges in Vermont 2025
Small colleges in Vermont are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.
Key Takeaways
- Vermont’s small colleges offer low student-to-faculty ratios, allowing for personalized mentorship and close relationships with professors, fostering an intimate and engaging learning environment.
- Many small colleges in Vermont integrate the state’s natural beauty into their curriculum, offering outdoor education programs and hands-on experiences in environmental science, sustainable agriculture, and ecology, taking advantage of Vermont’s diverse landscapes.
- Vermont’s top small colleges often emphasize interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to explore connections across subjects like the arts, social sciences, and environmental studies, with colleges like Bennington encouraging self-directed studies and creative, project-based learning.
10 Best Small 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 small colleges in Vermont saw a fair amount of shuffling. Castleton University gained the most ranking positions as the university did more to develop their Sustainability and Environmental Science Program, which includes new research opportunities and partnerships with local environmental organizations, providing students with hands-on experience in conservation and green technologies.
The university has also upgraded its digital learning platforms, offering more hybrid and fully online courses to accommodate diverse learning styles. Additionally, Castleton has enhanced its student wellness services, expanding mental health support, fitness programs, and campus-wide wellness initiatives. These updates highlight the university’s focus on sustainability, flexibility, and holistic student support.
The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Vermont is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 11 small colleges in Vermont. The list below of the best small colleges in Vermont. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.
Best Small Colleges in Vermont
- #2 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #1 Best Private 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 Private Colleges in Vermont 2025 #2 Best Grad Schools in Vermont 2025
Other Rankings
- #3 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
- #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Anthropology Degrees
- #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for History Degrees
- #10 Best Colleges and Universities for Political Science Degrees
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degrees 2025
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Degrees
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Religious Studies Degrees 2025
- #15 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Physics Degrees
- #15 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Math Degrees
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Chemistry Degrees 2025
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Sociology Degrees 2025
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Economics Degree
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earning Computer Science Degrees 2025
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Philosophy Degrees 2025
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for a Biology Degree
- #17 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Political Science Degrees 2025
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for English Degrees 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 Private Colleges in Vermont 2025 #4 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025 #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Vermont
Other Rankings
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 Private 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 Private 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 Private Colleges in Vermont 2025 #7 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Other Rankings
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:
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Vermont 2024 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Vermont 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #8 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
54%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/24
What is Castleton University known for?
Castleton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Vermont 2024 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Vermont 2024 #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #9 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
38%
Student body
2K
What is Johnson State College known for?
Johnson State College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Psychology
- Sociology
- History
- Education
- Political Science
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Vermont 2024 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Vermont 2024 #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Vermont 2025 #10 Best Colleges in Vermont 2025
Tuition + fees
$16K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at Vermont Technical College
Cost of Degree: $11,400Expenses: $15,548Starting Salary: $45,900Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Vermont Technical College known for?
Vermont Technical 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 Small College in Your Area of 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.
Many states have great small colleges. If you’re interested in looking into what other states have to offer, check out the best small colleges in Nevada and Illinois.