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Private University

Bennington College

Bennington College is a private nonprofit four-year institution located in Bennington, Vermont. Known for its unique educational model combining classroom study with hands-on Field Work Term internships, the campus offers students a vibrant community on a 440-acre makerspace surrounded by nature and mountain views.

Bennington, VTTown: Distant
48%ACCEPTANCE
$35,108AVG NET PRICE
67%GRAD RATE
867STUDENTS
University data profileIPEDS 2023

THE SIGNATURE

Bennington College Report Card

Explore university facts, programs, and campus life at a glance.

Bennington College is a private nonprofit college situated in Bennington, Vermont. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and operates as a nonsectarian four-year university. The institution welcomes students to an environment where learning and making are inseparable, with faculty committed as leading practitioners in their fields.

Students develop ideas in the classroom and test them through hands-on work via Field Work Term, an annual internship required since founding. The campus serves as a creative incubator on a 440-acre makerspace with access to nature and mountain views. Facilities include Crossett Library and the Visual and Performing Arts Center, known as VAPA.

Life at Bennington includes dining halls, houses, clubs, and organizations fostering an inclusive community. The college cultivates a mindset for change where students imagine and pursue their best work in a collaborative education supported by mentors and peers.

AT A GLANCE
TypePrivateFour or more years
Founded1932
SettingTown: Distant440 acres
Calendarsemester

GETTING IN

Admissions

Bennington College maintains an acceptance rate of 48 percent among approximately 2,825 applicants each cycle. Prospective students are invited to apply for this private nonprofit four-year institution in Vermont.

Source: IPEDS 2023

ACCEPTANCE RATE

48%

More selective than 21% of listed universities.

SelectiveAccessible

SAT RANGE (MID 50%)

1,290–1,413

4001600

APPLICATION FEE

No application fee.

WHAT IT COSTS

Cost & Financial Aid

Sticker price tells you little — net price after aid is what most families actually pay.

Source: IPEDS 2023

IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

$64,644/yr

Out-of-state: $64,644/yr.

Net price by income band

$0–$30,000
$30,001–$48,000
$48,001–$75,000
$75,001–$110,000
$110,001+

AVERAGE NET PRICE AFTER AID

$35,108/yr

▼ 1% since 2020-2191% receive aid

Average aid package $48,846.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Academics

The college offers 133 undergraduate majors and is recognized for excellence in theater and classroom experience according to national rankings. Faculty are leading practitioners who support students as they forge their own paths toward a world more sustainable and just.

Source: IPEDS 2023

Student–faculty ratio

9:1

62.1% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

6-year graduation rate

67%

▼ 3 pts since 2016

First-year retention

85%

Compared with the 89% public-university median.

Undergrad majors

133

Undergraduate majors and programs

MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY

Visual and Performing Arts, General.11.3%
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General.9.9%
Creative Writing.8.6%
Dance, General.8.6%
General Literature.6.6%
Computer Science.6%

CAMPUS LIFE

Campus & Housing

Campus housing shows how many students live on-campus — which means nearby housing can be essential to the college experience.

On-campus beds

799

Setting

Town: Distant

440 campus acres.

AFTER GRADUATION

Student outcomes

What graduates earn and how reliably they land work — the bottom-line return on the degree.

Source: College Scorecard 2025

Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry

$38,289

Working after 10 yrs

52.7%

Share of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.

Earning more than a high-school graduate

58.7%

58.7% of students out-earn the typical high-school graduate — a core measure of mobility.

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics. University Apartments is not affiliated with Bennington College.