by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Top Vermont Colleges ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Vermont to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Middlebury College to be the best school for overall quality in Vermont in this year’s ranking.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 87%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury is $76,310 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 9 schools in Vermont that were part of this year’s ranking, Champlain College landed the #2 spot on the list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Champlain make an average of $58,386 a year.
Out of the 9 schools in Vermont that were part of this year’s ranking, Bennington College landed the #3 spot on the list.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Bennington is $38,289 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 9 schools in Vermont that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Vermont landed the #4 spot on the list.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $62,472 during the early years of their career..
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Saint Michael’s College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Vermont.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Saint Michael’s make an average of $61,317 per year during the early years of their career.
Vermont Technical College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Vermont ranking, coming in at #6.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Vermont Tech go into careers with an average salary of $50,331 during the early years of their career.
Norwich University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Vermont ranking, coming in at #7.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Norwich is $65,575 during the early years of their career.
Goddard College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Vermont ranking, coming in at #8.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Goddard College is $25,552 during the early years of their career.
Community College of Vermont did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Vermont ranking, coming in at #9.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from CCV go into careers with an average salary of $36,234 during the early years of their career.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.