6 Top-Ranked Vermont Colleges and Universities

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 nearly 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.

Compare Vermont Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores

Bennington College

Location: Bennington, Vermont
Enrollment: 805 (711 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: test-optional admissions, 10 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

Champlain College. Nightspark / Wikimedia Commons

Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 4,778 (3,912 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; 16 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

Marlboro College. redjar / Flickr

Location: Marlboro, Vermont
Enrollment: 198 (all undergraduate)
Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
Distinctions: featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives; rigorous yet relatively unstructured curriculum; 5 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

Middlebury College. khanqpa / flickr

Location: Middlebury, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,549 (2,523 undergraduates)
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; 8 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

Saint Michael's College. Brian MacDonald / Wikimedia Commons

Location: Colchester, Vermont
Enrollment: 2,226 (1,902 undergraduates)
Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college
Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; students from 29 states and 36 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

University of Vermont. rachaelvoorhees / Flickr

Location: Burlington, Vermont
Enrollment: 13,105 (11,159 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

Top New England Colleges

New England Map.

Want to expand your college search to the entire New England region? These 25 top New England colleges and universities are a great place to start.

Top Vermont Colleges