Higher Education in Vermont: Small Campuses, Distinct Missions

Vermont has one of the smallest populations in the country, yet its campuses cover a wide range. You will find a liberal arts college chartered in 1800, a private military college, a law school, a college built for students with learning differences, and a community college with sites around the state. Our database lists 42 college entries in 24 Vermont towns, from Burlington on Lake Champlain to Craftsbury in the Northeast Kingdom.

Most campuses are small by national standards. Many sit in villages rather than cities, and a student may drive twenty minutes on a two-lane road to reach class. That shapes how you search, how you visit and how you plan around weather. The sections below explain who oversees these schools, why some listings use older names, and how the map divides by region.

Who Approves, Governs and Funds Colleges in Vermont

No single office runs every college in the state. Responsibility is split among several bodies, and knowing which one you need saves time.

Private degree-granting colleges, such as Middlebury College, Bennington College and Norwich University, operate with approval from the Vermont State Board of Education, which is supported by the Vermont Agency of Education. Approval is separate from accreditation. Accreditation for most Vermont degree programs comes from the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation status is what matters when you transfer credits or apply for federal financial aid.

Public higher education runs through the Vermont State Colleges System, which has its own board of trustees. Since July 2023 the system has included Vermont State University, which combined Castleton University, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College and Vermont Technical College into one institution with several campuses. The Community College of Vermont remains a separate college in the system, and our listing places its central address in Winooski.

Student aid is handled by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, known as VSAC. It is a nonprofit created by the state, and it administers the Vermont Grant, offers free advising on college planning and answers questions about the FAFSA.

Career schools follow a different path. O'Briens Aveda Institute in Williston, for example, trains students for cosmetology work. Licenses in fields like that come from the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, not from the school. Ask any career school which licensing hours and exams its program covers before you enroll.

Why Some Vermont Listings Show Older College Names

Vermont higher education has changed quickly over the past decade, and public records lag behind. Several entries in our database use names that have since changed, or describe campuses that no longer operate. Use the list below as a reading guide, then confirm current status by phone before you travel.

Closures matter for one practical reason: transcripts. If you attended a school that has closed, start with the Vermont Agency of Education and ask who holds academic records. Then check whether the National Student Clearinghouse has them on file.

Regional Patterns: Lake Champlain, the Capital Region and the Southern Tier

Chittenden County is the state's higher education hub, with 13 listings. Burlington anchors it, but the county also holds the Vermont campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at 261 Mountain View Drive in Colchester, O'Briens Aveda Institute at 400 Cornerstone Drive in Williston, and the Community College of Vermont in Winooski. Green Mountain Transit buses serve Burlington and nearby suburbs, so students here can often manage without a car. Browse every campus on our Chittenden County page.

Washington County, home of the capital, comes second. Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the country by population, yet it has five listings, including the former New England Culinary Institute at 56 College Street. Outside the capital, Norwich University occupies its campus on Harmon Drive in Northfield. Founded in 1819, it is the nation's oldest private military college. Goddard College sits in Plainfield. See the Washington County listings for the full set.

The southern tier is strong in graduate and specialty schools. In Windham County, Brattleboro has three listings: SIT Graduate Institute on Kipling Road, the Vermont Technical College campus on Harmony Place, and the Marlboro College graduate school on Vernon Street. Landmark College in Putney is widely known for serving students with learning disabilities, ADHD and autism.

Farther west, Bennington County includes Bennington College in North Bennington, which is known for its arts programs and individualized study. Vermont Technical College keeps a campus on South Street in Bennington. Nearby, Rutland County pairs Castleton University at 62 Alumni Drive with the Poultney and Rutland addresses of colleges that have since closed.

Rural counties have fewer listings, but each school has a clear identity. Middlebury College and its Bread Loaf School of English campus in Ripton are in Addison County. Vermont Technical College in Randolph is in Orange County. Sterling College in Craftsbury serves Orleans County with a focus on ecology and sustainable agriculture. Johnson in Lamoille County, Lyndon in Caledonia County and Vermont Law School in South Royalton, Windsor County, complete the picture.

Practical Steps Before You Apply or Visit a Vermont Campus

A little preparation prevents wasted trips, especially when campuses are an hour or more apart. These steps work for almost any Vermont college search.

High school students have an additional route. Vermont's Act 77 flexible pathways law supports dual enrollment and early college, so a student can earn college credit before graduation. Your school counselor handles the paperwork and can tell you which campuses participate.

Public colleges and universities in Vermont offer residents access to affordable higher education, professional certifications, and workforce training. The Vermont state legislature oversees funding and policy for public institutions, while individual governing boards manage each campus.

Colleges locations are available in 24 cities across Vermont. They are spread across 11 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Montpelier, Burlington, Colchester, reflecting the presence of major university campuses and community college districts serving large student populations.

Prospective students in Vermont should research in-state tuition rates, available degree programs, and financial aid options at public institutions, as these factors vary significantly between community colleges and four-year universities.

Colleges by Counties

A
B
C
L
O
R
W

Students in Vermont applying to public colleges and universities should complete the FAFSA as early as possible to maximize eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Many Vermont institutions also offer state-specific grant programs with additional eligibility criteria.

Browse Colleges by county across Vermont to find the nearest location.

Timing a Visit to a Vermont Campus

Season matters more in Vermont than in most states. Late September through mid-October brings foliage visitors, and lodging near Middlebury, Bennington and Brattleboro fills quickly. Book rooms early, or schedule your campus tour on a weekday. March and April bring mud season, when dirt roads leading to some rural campuses soften and slow travel. Winter storms can close offices, so check the college website and call the main number before you set out.

Some programs follow their own calendars. The Bread Loaf School of English in Ripton runs mainly in summer, so its office may be quiet at other times of year. Landmark College in Putney and Norwich University in Northfield keep fuller schedules but still close around holidays. Sterling College in Craftsbury is a long drive from the interstates, and our Orleans County page can help you plan around that.

Start with the college's accreditation page, then verify it with the accreditor. Most Vermont degree-granting colleges are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, which publishes a list of member institutions. Private degree-granting colleges also need approval from the Vermont State Board of Education, and the Vermont Agency of Education can tell you whether a school holds it. You can also check the U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator for federal aid eligibility. If a school cannot show accreditation in writing, or pressures you to pay before you see a catalog, walk away.

Several listings predate closures. Burlington College closed in 2016. Green Mountain College in Poultney, Southern Vermont College in Bennington and the College of St. Joseph in Rutland all closed in 2019. The New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier closed in 2021. Marlboro College ended its undergraduate program in 2020 under an agreement with Emerson College. Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon and Vermont Technical College did not close, but they merged into Vermont State University in 2023. For records from a closed school, call the Vermont Agency of Education and ask who holds them, then check the National Student Clearinghouse.

Begin with the FAFSA, which opens the door to federal grants, loans and work-study. Vermont adds its own help through VSAC, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. It administers the Vermont Grant for eligible residents attending approved colleges, and it offers free advising on applications, scholarships and loans. Eligibility depends on financial need and enrollment, and award amounts change, so confirm current figures with VSAC rather than relying on older web pages. Residents can also ask about the New England Regional Student Program, which reduces tuition at out-of-state New England public colleges for certain majors. Compare net cost, not sticker price, at private colleges.

Yes. The Community College of Vermont has open admission, so you do not need a particular test score or high school GPA to enroll. Classes are offered at sites around the state and online, and many students start with one or two courses while working. Confirm with your destination school that each course will transfer, including Vermont State University. High school students, typically juniors and seniors, can take college courses through Vermont's dual enrollment program under Act 77. A school counselor handles the paperwork. Our listing places the central office in Winooski, so call before visiting.

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences runs a Vermont campus at 261 Mountain View Drive in Colchester, with health science programs. Vermont Law School is in South Royalton in Windsor County. O'Briens Aveda Institute in Williston trains students in cosmetology. Licensing is a separate step. The Vermont Office of Professional Regulation licenses pharmacists and cosmetologists, while admission to the bar is handled through the Vermont Supreme Court's Board of Bar Examiners. Before enrolling, ask about program hours, required exams, background checks and recent graduate pass rates.

Transit is best in Chittenden and Washington counties, where Green Mountain Transit buses connect Burlington, Colchester, Winooski and Montpelier. Amtrak's Vermonter train stops at Randolph and Brattleboro, close to the Vermont Technical College and Brattleboro campuses. The Ethan Allen Express serves Rutland and Burlington. Villages such as Putney, Ripton, Craftsbury and Poultney are far easier by car, and weather can lengthen winter drives. Ask each admissions office about shuttles, ride-sharing boards and visit-day transportation. Smaller colleges often arrange pickups from the nearest train or bus stop if you ask a week ahead.