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For a small state, Vermont has some excellent choices for higher education. My top picks for the state range in size from a small and quirky liberal arts college of a few hundred students to a public university with over 13,000. The admissions standards vary greatly, so be sure to click on the profiles to learn more. My selection criteria include retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, value, student engagement, and notable curricular strengths. I have listed the schools alphabetically rather than forcing them into any kind of artificial ranking; these six schools vary so much in mission and personality that any distinctions in rank would be dubious at best.
Along with excellent academics, these Vermont colleges offer easy access to the state's world-class skiing, climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
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Bennington College
redjar / Flickr
- Location: Bennington, Vermont
- Enrollment: 811 (668 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: test-optional admissions, 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 12; students from 41 states and 13 countries; flexible self-designed curriculum; seven-week Field Work Term during which students study off campus and gain work experience
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Bennington College profile
Champlain College
Nightspark / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Burlington, Vermont
- Enrollment: 3,055 (2,749 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: career-focused private college
- Distinctions: blending of the liberal arts with professional applications; interesting niche programs such as game design and radiography; opportunity to bring your own business to college for development; 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; located adjacent to the University of Vermont and just blocks from Lake Champlain
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Champlain College profile
Marlboro College
redjar / Flickr
- Location: Marlboro, Vermont
- Enrollment: 330 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; rigorous yet relatively unstructured curriculum; 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 10; student-designed course of study in junior and senior years; 69% of graduates go on to graduate school
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Marlboro College profile
Middlebury College
khanqpa / flickr
- Location: Middlebury, Vermont
- Enrollment: 2,482 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the top 10 liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 16; highly selective admissions; strong language and study abroad programs
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Middlebury College profile
Saint Michael's College
Brian MacDonald / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Colchester, Vermont
- Enrollment: 2,460 (2,008 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; students from 33 states and 13 countries; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences; NCAA Division II athletic programs
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Saint Michael's College profile
University of Vermont
rachaelvoorhees / Flickr
- Location: Burlington, Vermont
- Enrollment: 13,391 (11,382 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; rich and inclusive dating to 1791; "A+" on Sierra Club's environmental report card; member of the NCAA Division I America East Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Vermont profile
