State profile · 14 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Colleges in Vermont
Colleges in Vermont from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.
- 14
- Colleges
- $50,930
- Avg 10-yr earnings (10 of 14)
- 62.2%
- Avg acceptance
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
Vermont · the picture in one line
Vermont's 10 of 14 colleges that report earnings average $50,930 in 10-year former-student earnings - 7th highest of 56 states and territories that report.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- #7
- of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
- $76,310
- top earnings - Middlebury College
- 62.2%
- avg acceptance (9 reporting)
- 3 / 10 / 1
- public / nonprofit / for-profit
Best earnings-to-cost value among Vermont colleges with reported figures: Norwich University.
Vermont · enrollment ≠ earnings
In Vermont, University of Vermont leads by undergraduate enrollment (11,743 students, #1 of 10) but ranks #3 of 10 on 10-year median earnings ($62,472), while Middlebury College tops earnings at $76,310 (#1 of 10) with 2,738 students (#5 of 10). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 11,743
- University of enrollment #1
- $76,310
- Middlebury College earnings #1
- #1
- Enrollment rank of earnings leader
- #3
- Earnings rank of enrollment leader
Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.
Enrollment of Vermont's #1 campuses by size vs earnings
Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.
- University of Vermont
University of Vermont
11,743 students
- Middlebury College 2,738
Middlebury College
2,738 students
What this shows University of Vermont is largest by enrollment; Middlebury College leads on 10-year earnings at $76,310.
This page aggregates colleges and universities in Vermont returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.
The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Vermont as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.
The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.
Largest Colleges in Vermont by Enrollment
IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.
- University of Vermont
University of Vermont
11,743 students
- Vermont State University 3,590
Vermont State University
3,590 students
- Community College of Ver… 2,841
Community College of Vermont
2,841 students
- Champlain College 2,752
Champlain College
2,752 students
- Middlebury College 2,738
Middlebury College
2,738 students
- Norwich University 2,428
Norwich University
2,428 students
- Saint Michael's College 1,092
Saint Michael's College
1,092 students
- Bennington College 780
Bennington College
780 students
- Landmark College 455
Landmark College
455 students
- O'Briens Aveda Institute 80
O'Briens Aveda Institute
80 students
- Sterling College 50
Sterling College
50 students
- SIT Graduate Institute 0
SIT Graduate Institute
0 students
What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.
Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Vermont
U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.
- Middlebury College
Middlebury College
$76,310 USD
- Norwich University
Norwich University
$65,575 USD
- University of Vermont
University of Vermont
$62,472 USD
- Saint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College
$61,317 USD
- Champlain College
Champlain College
$58,386 USD
- Vermont State University
Vermont State University
$50,331 USD
- Bennington College
Bennington College
$38,289 USD
- Community College of Ver…
Community College of Vermont
$36,234 USD
- Sterling College
Sterling College
$30,573 USD
- Landmark College $29,813
Landmark College
$29,813 USD
What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.
The ROI lens
Vermont colleges: earnings vs. cost
National context
How Vermont ranks among the states
Vermont's average 10-year earnings of $50,930 place it in the 88th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.
Vermont: average former-student earnings vs. every state
State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$50,930 Top 12% higher than 88% of 56 states & territories
Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.
School type matters
How school type shapes earnings in Vermont
Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.
Average former-student earnings by school type - Vermont
Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
- Private nonprofit
Private nonprofit
$51,466 avg earnings
- Public
Public
$49,679 avg earnings
What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.
What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Vermont
PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 14 postsecondary institutions in Vermont. The ownership mix is 3 public institutions, 10 private nonprofits, and 1 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.
Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 10 of 14 Vermont institutions that report one is $42,813, and the average admission rate among the 9 that report one sits at 62.2%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.
Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 10 of 14 Vermont colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $50,930, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.
All Schools in Vermont
| School Name | City | Type | Enrollment | Acceptance Rate | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vermont | Burlington | Public | 11,743 | 65.3% | $62,472 |
| Vermont State University | Randolph | Public | 3,590 | 81.7% | $50,331 |
| Community College of Vermont | Montpelier | Public | 2,841 | - | $36,234 |
| Champlain College | Burlington | Private NP | 2,752 | 82.9% | $58,386 |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury | Private NP | 2,738 | 10.8% | $76,310 |
| Norwich University | Northfield | Private NP | 2,428 | 74.4% | $65,575 |
| Saint Michael's College | Colchester | Private NP | 1,092 | 84.5% | $61,317 |
| Bennington College | Bennington | Private NP | 780 | 44.5% | $38,289 |
| Landmark College | Putney | Private NP | 455 | 49.4% | $29,813 |
| O'Briens Aveda Institute | Williston | For-Profit | 80 | - | - |
| Sterling College | Craftsbury Common | Private NP | 50 | 66.7% | $30,573 |
| SIT Graduate Institute | Brattleboro | Private NP | 0 | - | - |
| Vermont Law and Graduate School | South Royalton | Private NP | - | - | - |
| Vermont College of Fine Arts | Montpelier | Private NP | - | - | - |
Featured Colleges in Vermont
Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side
Explore more Vermont data
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.
How to Compare Colleges
A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.
Financial Aid & Net Price
How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.
Understanding College Earnings Data
How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.
About This Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What this means for Vermont applicants
- Vermont has 14 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
- Average reported admission rate across Vermont colleges is 62.2% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
- State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.