by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Vermont, narrowing things down is no easy task. Our ranking highlights **7** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluated 7 graduate schools on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
Middlebury College earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Vermont. Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit school based in Middlebury, VT. Middlebury College graduates 91% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $67,600. Graduates go on to earn a median of $54,713 early in their careers. Middlebury College students take on a median of $15,948 in debt.
University Of Vermont came in at #2 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Vermont. Set in Burlington, VT, University Of Vermont is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 79%. In-state tuition and fees run about $19,058, with out-of-state students paying around $45,502. Early-career graduates earn a median of $44,588. The median student debt is $22,607.
Out of the 7 graduate schools in Vermont in this year's ranking, Saint Michaels College landed the #3 spot. This private not-for-profit school is set in Colchester, VT. Saint Michaels College posts a six-year graduation rate of 73%. In-state tuition and fees run about $51,450. Median early-career earnings reach $42,240. Typical student debt is $26,640.
Norwich University came in at #4 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Vermont. Based in Northfield, VT, Norwich University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 60% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $49,740. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $59,706. Students borrow a median of $24,103 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #5 makes Champlain College one of the top graduate schools in Vermont. Based in Burlington, VT, Champlain College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $47,850. Median early-career earnings reach $58,490. Champlain College students take on a median of $27,631 in debt.
Vermont Technical College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in Randolph, VT. The six-year graduation rate is 44%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,952, with out-of-state students paying around $22,296. Median early-career earnings reach $41,822. Graduates carry a median of $24,208 in student loans.
Bennington College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Bennington, VT, Bennington College is a private not-for-profit institution. Bennington College graduates 71% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $66,262 in tuition and fees. Bennington College graduates report median early-career earnings of $29,031. Graduates carry a median of $26,815 in student loans.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Graduate schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.