There are 12 colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Vermont that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These include one research university, four master's universities, four primarily baccalaureate colleges, a law school, a community college and an art school that operates exclusively online.
There are three public institutions in Vermont, including the state's flagship public university is the University of Vermont (UVM). The other two public institutions are organized as the Vermont State Colleges system, comprising the multi-campus Vermont State University and Community College of Vermont. Colleges in Vermont range in size from UVM, with 14,476 students as of 2024, to Vermont College of Fine Arts, a private online-only art school with 190 students. All 12 institutions are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Three schools claim to be the oldest college in Vermont. UVM was chartered in 1791 but did not begin instruction until 1800 or grant a degree until 1804. Middlebury College was chartered in 1800 and was Vermont's first college to grant an academic degree in 1802. Castleton University, which today is a campus of Vermont State University, was considered to be the oldest institution of higher learning in Vermont, having been originally chartered as a grammar school in 1787. Vermont's newest college not formed from existing institutions is Landmark College, founded in 1984 to serve students with learning disabilities.
Institutions School Location(s) Control TypeSchool types are based on the Carnegie Classification: Enrollment(Fall 2024)Enrollment is the total enrollment as reported by IPEDS for Fall 2024. FoundedBennington CollegeBenningtonPrivateBaccalaureate college9271932Champlain CollegeBurlingtonPrivateMaster's university3,2591878Community College of Vermont12 locationsPublicAssociate's college5,0281970Landmark CollegePutneyPrivateBaccalaureate/associate's college6721984Middlebury CollegeMiddleburyPrivateBaccalaureate college2,8031800Norwich UniversityNorthfieldPrivateMaster's university3,1491819Saint Michael's CollegeColchesterPrivate(Catholic)Baccalaureate college1,3231904School for International TrainingBrattleboroPrivateMaster's university6441965University of VermontBurlingtonPublicResearch university14,4761791Vermont College of Fine Artsheadquartered in Montpelier;courses are online with residencies in Valencia, CaliforniaPrivateArt school1901831Vermont Law and Graduate SchoolSouth RoyaltonPrivateLaw school7221972Vermont State University5 locationsPublicMaster's university4,7752023
Out-of-state institutions Out-of-state colleges may offer degree programs in Vermont with approval of the Vermont State Board of Education, with input from the Vermont Higher Education Council, whose members include all the colleges and universities in Vermont.
As of 2024, the only out-of-state institution offering degrees in Vermont was Southern New Hampshire University, which offered graduate degrees in education at the former Trinity College campus in Colchester.
Unaccredited institutions Two institutions are authorized by the state to offer degrees but are not accredited: The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction offers a Masters of Fine Arts program and was founded in 2004. Northeastern Baptist College in Bennington offers bachelor's degrees and was founded in 2013.
Defunct institutions School Location Control Type Founded Closed NotesAlbany College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesColchesterPrivatePharmacy school1881 (main campus in Albany, NY)2021Satellite campus onlyBurlington CollegeBurlingtonPrivateBaccalaureate college19722016Castleton UniversityCastletonPublicBaccalaureate college17872023Merged into Vermont State UniversityCastleton Medical CollegeCastletonPrivateMedical school18181862College of St. JosephRutlandPrivate(Catholic)Master's university19562019Goddard CollegePlainfieldPrivateMaster's university19382024Green Mountain CollegePoultneyPrivate(Methodist)Baccalaureate college18342019Johnson State CollegeJohnsonPublicBaccalaureate college18282018Merged with Lyndon State College to form Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon State CollegeLyndonvillePublicBaccalaureate college19112018Merged with Johnson State College to form Northern Vermont UniversityMark Hopkins CollegeBrattleboroPrivateBaccalaureate college19641978Marlboro CollegeMarlboroPrivateBaccalaureate college19462020Donated endowment to Emerson College to create Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary StudiesNew England Culinary InstituteMontpelierPrivate(for-profit)Culinary school19802021Northern Vermont UniversityLyndon and JohnsonPublicMaster's university20182023Merged into Vermont State UniversityRoyalton CollegeSouth RoyaltonPrivateBaccalaureate college19651981Southern Vermont CollegeBenningtonPrivateBaccalaureate college19262019Sterling CollegeCraftsbury CommonPrivateBaccalaureate college19582026Trinity College of VermontBurlingtonPrivate(Catholic)Master's university19252001Vermont Medical CollegeWoodstockPrivateMedical school18271856Vermont Technical CollegeRandolph and WillistonPublicBaccalaureate college18662023Merged into Vermont State UniversityWoodbury CollegeMontpelierPrivateBaccalaureate college19752008Merged into Champlain CollegeWindham CollegePutneyPrivateBaccalaureate college19511978
See also Higher education in the United States List of American institutions of higher education List of college athletic programs in Vermont
References
External links Consortium of Vermont Colleges Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in Vermont