by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Bennington College, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
Want a specific number? Skip ahead to any section using the links below:
What it costs to attend Bennington College amounts to about $82,968.00 a year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $66,262.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $16,706.00 |
| Total cost | $82,968.00 |
| That is 153% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,968.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$56,337.00 |
| Net price | $26,631.00 |
| That is 19% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,968.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$68,804.00 |
| Net price | $14,164.00 |
| That is 57% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page plus living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years at about 3.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan math assumes ten-year repayment at 6.8% interest.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Freshman year | $14,671.00 | $27,584.00 | $85,938.00 |
| Senior year | $16,304.00 | $30,654.00 | $95,501.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $61,911.00 | $116,404.00 | $362,654.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $23,586.00 | $44,346.00 | $138,158.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $712.00 | $1,340.00 | $4,173.00 |
| Total amount paid | $85,497.00 | $160,750.00 | $500,812.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Freshman year | $14,671.00 | $27,584.00 | $85,938.00 |
| Senior year | $15,196.00 | $28,572.00 | $89,014.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $29,867.00 | $56,156.00 | $174,952.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,378.00 | $21,393.00 | $66,651.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $344.00 | $646.00 | $2,013.00 |
| Total amount paid | $41,246.00 | $77,549.00 | $241,603.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $30,947.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $31,918.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $18,950.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $18,334.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $26,325.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $30,794.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $43,365.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Bennington College Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Bennington College amounts to $19,250.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $8,750.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,250.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $27,000.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt detail.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,423.00 |
| Middle income | $18,198.00 |
| High income | $21,250.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,750.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,750.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Bennington College is $2,104.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The federal default-rate tier for Bennington College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.1% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Bennington College amount to $43,310,565.00 distributed across 2,521 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 5 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $23,866.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veteran aid breakdown.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Bennington College, keep these questions in mind:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.