ACCEPTANCE RATE
48%
More selective than 78% of listed universities.
SelectiveAccessible
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 440 acres
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 440 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
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
$18,950$0–$30,000
$18,334$30,001–$48,000
$26,325$48,001–$75,000
$30,794$75,001–$110,000
$43,365$110,001+
AVERAGE NET PRICE AFTER AID
$35,108/yr
▼ 1% since 2020-2191% receive grants or scholarships
Average grant or scholarship aid $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%
Median across 34 institutions in our national dataset: 89%.
Bachelor-level fields offered
133
Bachelor-level fields reported as offered in IPEDS
MOST POPULAR FIELDS OF STUDY
Share of bachelor's degree completions, not of all enrolled students.
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
Reported capacity of institution-controlled housing and campus setting. Capacity does not indicate how many students currently live in university housing.
University-controlled housing capacity
799
Includes institution-controlled housing; it may extend beyond campus.
Setting
town 440 acres
AFTER GRADUATION
Student outcomes
Earnings and employment of former students after entering the university.
Source: College Scorecard 2025
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$38,289
Median earnings of former students working and not enrolled, ten years after entry.
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 former students earn above the Scorecard high-school earnings threshold, ten years after entry.
Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics, and College Scorecard. University Apartments is not affiliated with Bennington College.