10 Best Art Schools in Vermont-Tuition & Programs

Vermont is a state in the northeastern United States, known for its natural landscape, it’s also known for being home to more than 100 19th-century covered wooden bridges, and as a major producer of maple syrup with thousands of acres of mountain terrain crossed by hiking trails and skiing slopes.

Vermont is a beautiful place and you can definitely find some of the best art schools in Vermont.

Reasons Why Vermont is the Best Place to Study

1. Vermont has a beautiful landscape with at least 6 seasons

Every week of the year has a different feel with Vermont bursting with winter, mud, spring, summer, and stock seasons.

These seasons inspire and stimulate the senses acting as a natural metronome connecting people to the natural rhythms of the landscape.

2. You will be surrounded by smart people

Higher education involves learning about the world, broadening your horizon, ultimately getting smarter, and expanding your knowledge about a particular field of study.

Vermont is ranked the smartest state according to a publication by California- based online real estate giant Movoto.

3. Consumption of maple syrup

Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the USA. The syrup is rich in magnesium which boosts brain function.

So you literally will be schooling in a place where higher brain function drops from the trees. What could be better?

4. Vermont not only has smart people but is very healthy too.

Recently, Vermont was ranked the healthiest state in the USA by a Gallup poll. Its residents eat more natural food and get even more exercise.

5. Vermont is a fun place for sporting and recreational activities

Going to college where you can chill, unwind and relax from too many school activities should be top of the list.

In Vermont, you are provided with a lot of opportunities to do fun things such as trout fishing, snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, swimming, paddle boarding, and other outdoor recreational activities.

6. In Vermont, acceptance is the way

In Vermont, acceptance is genuine, allowing freedom and unity to exist simultaneously. All the space and support you need to express yourself are available in Vermont.

7. Vermont houses the best art schools

Vermont houses a collection of top-notch/top-ranking best art schools in the USA that have raised a lot of notable personalities in the US and are even more committed to bringing out the best in their students intellectually and character-wise making them world-class individuals.

The Best Art Schools in Vermont

  • Middlebury college
  • University of Vermont
  • Champlain college
  • Castleton University
  • Landmark College
  • Northern Vermont University-Johnson
  • Community college Vermont
  • Dartmouth College
  • Plymouth state university
  • Colby-sawyer college
  • Fletcher farm craft school
  • Vermont college of fine arts
  • Integrated Arts Academy
  • Bennington college
  • Norwich university
  • Saint Michael’s College
  • Valparaiso university
  • Goddard college

Middlebury College

History: Middlebury college is a private liberal art college that is located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school was founded in 1800 and became the first operating college in Vermont.

The school is among the top rankings for the best art schools in Vermont and is known for progressive teaching. Middlebury was one of the formerly all-male colleges and began accepting women in 1883.

The school is also the first American institution of higher learning to award a bachelor’s degree to an African American (Alexander Twilight).

Ranking: Middlebury has a lot of good credit badges and rankings, they include; the 2nd best liberal arts college for student preference in 2015.

Washington Monthly ranked the school 8th in its 2020 liberal arts college ranking for their contributions to public good considering social mobility, research, and promotion of public services.

US news and world report ranked Middlebury as the 9th best liberal arts college overall in the US and according to Princeton review, is one of the top 20 schools in the US for the best quality of life.

Career Outlook: Middlebury provides an evolving breadth of academic career options to enhance your undergraduate experience and they include; African American studies, American studies, Arabic, Chinese, dance, economics, German, history, international & global studies, music, theatre, political science, writing & rhetoric, film & media culture, click here to see all course catalog.

Admission requirements: Middlebury college acceptance is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 15.4%, this means that for every 100 applicants, only 15 are admitted. To stand a chance of being admitted into Middlebury college, you must have an average GPA of 4.0 and an average SAT score of 1445 on the 1600 SAT scale. View all requirements here

Tuition: Middlebury college tuition is broken down as follows:

  • Tuition: $62,000 ($31,000 per semester)
  • Room and board: $17,800 ($8,900 per semester)
  • Student activity fee: $460 ($230 per semester)

Average salary: based on the number of years after enrolling, the Middlebury graduate’s average salary is as follows: after 6 years $48,400 yearly, after 7 years $56,300 yearly, after 8 years $59,800 yearly, after 9 years $76,00 and after 10years $72,400 yearly.

How to apply: to enroll in Middlebury college, click here and choose any of the many options that apply to you.

The University of Vermont

History: the University of Vermont is a public land grant research university in Burlington, Vermont.

It is amongst the oldest universities in the US and the fifth institution of higher education established in the New England region of the US.

The school is listed as one of the original eight public ivy institutions in the US and amongst the best schools where anyone can pursue an art career in Vermont.

Ranking: the University of Vermont is ranked #4 best safety school.

#2 top 10 best US colleges for ski racing.

#2 top 20 most affordable online certificate schools.

#3 most liberal art college in America.

Career Outlook: if you are looking to pursue a career in arts, the university of Vermont offers 90+ academic programs in the following fields; arts & communication, business & professional studies, education, psychology & social sciences, click here to see all programs

Admission requirements:  University of Vermont admission is selective with an acceptance rate of 67.3%, an SAT score between 1160 and 1350, an ACT score of 26 & 31, and a GPA of 3.66. see all requirements here

  • Tuition: in-state tuition & fees; $19,002
  • Out-of-state tuition & fees; $43,890
  • Room & board; $13,324
  • See the total cost of attending here

Average salary: 6 years after enrolling, alumni who are working earn an average salary of $39,200 yearly and after 10 years, graduates earn $53,500 on average. Click here to see the average salary for all majors.

How to apply: apply here

Bennington College

History: Bennington college is a private liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont. The school was initially founded as a women’s college in 1932 but co-education began in 1969.

Bennington college is constantly recognized by Princeton Review for campus beauty inside-out putting the school on the list of top 10 campuses with the best architectural structures.

Ranking: Bennington college is decorated with the following ranks:

#1 best college dorms in Vermont

#2 most liberal arts colleges in Vermont

#2 hardest colleges to get into in Vermont

#3 colleges with the best academics in Vermont

#4 top colleges with the best students life

#4 top schools with the best classroom experience

#5 top 15 best affordable colleges in Vermont

#11 most innovative school

Course Outlook: Bennington college offers over 50 programs and they include but are not limited to economics, geography, photography, social sciences, drawing, painting, ceramic arts, peace & conflict resolution studies, and communication & media studies.

Admission requirements: admission rate at Bennington college is considered more selective with an acceptance rate of 56.6% and an early decision acceptance rate of 41%. check here for all requirements.

Tuition: direct cost for an academic year is as follows:

  • Tuition: $60,648
  • Room:$9,620
  • Board: $8,100
  • Fee: $8,00
  • Enrollment fee: $500 (non refundable)
  • See all fees and financial aid here

Average salary: 6years after enrollment, alumni earn an average salary of $27,000 per year, after 8years, yearly earnings become $31,900 and after 9years of enrolling, graduates earn an average salary of $31,700 yearly.

How to apply: for first-year students applying to the college, Bennington offers two application options, dimensional application, and common application. Visit here to choose that which suit you and apply

Champlain College

History: Champlain college is a private college in Burlington, Vermont. The school was founded in 1878 and offers both on-campus and online undergraduate courses along with an online certificate, degree, and master’s programs.

The school is ranked one of the best art schools in Vermont as it has raised notable alumni such as Jaime Peterson, James McNeil, Laura Sibilia, and Donald H Turner to mention a few.

Ranking: Champlain College is ranked:

#1 2022 online college offering master’s degree

#4 best art school in Vermont

Most innovative school by US News and world report for 5 years in a row.

#11 best undergraduate teaching

Career Outlook: Champlain college offers the following courses, marketing communication, professional writing, criminal justice, education, film making, finance, game building & publishing, graphic design & visual communication, law, marketing, and international business, click here to see all.

Admission requirements: Champlain’s college admissions rate is slightly competitive with an acceptance rate of 75.4%. see all requirements here

Tuition: annual cost for full-time undergraduate is as follows:

  • Tuition; $43,800
  • Student activity + health fee: $420
  • On- campus room: $10,152
  • Full meal plan: $6,178
  • $120 one-time first-year fee for all new students. For a complete list of all fees, visit tuition and fees here

Average salary: business administration, management & operations (master’s degree) alumni have the highest average salary earning $72,600 yearly while film/video and photography arts (bachelor’s degree) earn the lowest at $20,300 yearly.

How to apply: select the application type here and apply.

Northern Vermont University Johnson

History: Northern Vermont University (NVU) is a public university in Johnson and Lyndon Vermont that was established by the unification of the formerly Johnson state college and Lyndon state college in 2018.

Ranking: Northern Vermont University is ranked

#47 top public schools

#124 top performers on social mobility

#131 regional University

Career Outlook: the university majors of NVU include psychology, general studies, business administration & management, liberal arts & science & liberal studies, mental health, and music, see all majors here

Admission requirements: with an acceptance rate of 86%  NVU is said to be admission friendly.

View all requirements here

Tuition: see tuition and fees for undergraduate, graduate, in-district, in-state, and out-of-state students here

Average salary: the average salary for Northern Vermont University alumni is $55,288 yearly or $26.58 hourly.

The entry-level salary is $37,000 yearly and the highest paying department is education at $63,716 annually.

How to apply: application requirements and procedures vary depending on your status and program choice. Choose the application type that reflects your interest and apply here

Goddard College

History: Goddard college is a progressive education private liberal arts low residency college. It was founded in the year 1938.

The college has a student-self-directed mentoring system which the faculty uses to make narrative evaluations of students’ progress as they fulfill their program degree criteria.

Ranking: here are some of Goddard’s college rankings.

#2 Vermont’s cheapest colleges by out-of-state tuition

#3 top 15 best affordable colleges in Vermont

#9 list of graduate schools with high acceptance rates

#12 of 20 best deals on small colleges for secularists

Admission requirements: Goddard’s admission rate is moderately selective with an acceptance rate of 56%. Admission requirements include a high school transcript, an application fee of $65, letters of recommendation, and a GPA of at least 3.155.

Career Outlook: Goddard college offers the following undergraduate programs, bachelor of arts in psychology, sustainability, creative writing, socially engaged art, teacher licensure, and graduate programs in teacher licensure, masters of fine art in interdisciplinary arts, creative writing, psychology, education.

Tuition: see all fees here

Average salary: average salary of a Goddard graduate 6 years after enrolling is $27,600 yearly, after 7 years it becomes $34,100 and after 10 years of enrolling it becomes $34,500

How to apply: to apply, create a first-time user student account here and follow the directives afterward.

Saint Michael’s College

History: Saint Michael’s college is a private, Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Colchester Vermont. The school was founded in 1904 by the society of saint Edmund.

Saint Michael’s College is ranked one of the best art schools in Vermont as it is committed to the pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and truth.

Ranking: #2 best college for academic excellence according to division II schools.

#2 best college in Vermont by salary potential

#2 best value colleges in Vermont

#2 top private universities in Vermont

#14 Vermont’s cheapest colleges by out-of-state tuition

Career Outlook: Saint Michael’s College offers a 4 years program in the following fields, business administration & management, psychology, English language & literature, environmental studies, history, art studies, education, accounting, music, sociology, multi/ interdisciplinary studies, etc.

Admission requirements: the admission rate in Saint Michael’s college is not too competitive, for every 100 applicants 85 are admitted, giving an acceptance rate of 85.1%. View all requirements here

Tuition: Tuition for Saint Michael’s college undergraduate program for a year is $47,640

  • Comprehensive fee: $2,200
  • Room & meal: $14,995
  • Book & supplies: $1,250
  • Transportation: $800

Average salary: employees who graduate from Saint Michael’s college earn an average salary of $64,000, mostly ranging from $51,000 to $94,000 annually based on profession.

How to apply: choose the application type that reflects your interest and start your Saint Michael’s journey here

Castleton University

History: Castleton University is a public university in Castleton Vermont, bound to give its students great experience that will help them grow personally and professionally.

The school was founded in 1787 and is the 18th oldest institution of higher education in the US with an average class size of 17 students.

Ranking: #1 top 15 best affordable colleges in Vermont

#5 best undergraduate teaching

#15 top public schools

#26 top performers in social mobility

#26 regional colleges North

Career Outlook: Castleton offers a variety of undergraduate majors, minors, concentrations, and certificates that can be combined to fit your interests and goal.  Click here to see all.

Admission requirements: to see all Castleton University require from its admission applicants, click here

Tuition: Castleton University tuition for resident new students is $25,482. For returning students is $25,235. For non resident new students $42,450.

For returning students $42,203. For full-time undergraduates of Vermont residency,$11,831 per year, and for non-residents $26,800 per year.

Average salary: bachelor’s degree recipients from Castleton make an average salary of $37,900 per year during the early years of employment. To see the earnings of various majors click here

How to apply: if you are a first-time user, select create an account, this will take you through the steps to start an application. Click here to get started.

Norwich University

History: Norwich university is a private military academy in Northfield, Vermont. The school was established in 1819 in Norwich Vermont and is the oldest private and senior military college in the US offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees on campus and online.

Ranking: #5 2020 best colleges highlights

#11 most beautiful ski town colleges

#11 most affordable online MPA programs

#19 best colleges for veterans

#24 best undergraduate teaching

#55 regional universities North

Career Outlook: Norwich university offers an array of undergraduate degree programs, master’s degree programs, graduate certificates, and professional education.

Click here to see both online and on-campus programs.

Admission requirements: Norwich evaluates students’ applications according to the major you plan to pursue, considering your high school transcript, an Ideal applicant should have completed the following, 4 years of English, 4 years of maths, 3 years of laboratory science, 2 years of foreign languages. Other requirements are optional including resumé, essay, and SAT score. There is also zero application fee.

Tuition: view tuition fees and all other charges for various programs here

Average salary: average salary of a Norwich university graduate after 6 years of enrolling is $39,000 per year and after 10 years of enrolling is $52,900 per year.

How to apply: for first-time users, create an account here and follow the application promptings.

What are the most prestigious art colleges in Vermont?

They are Bennington College – Bennington, Saint Michael’s College – Colchester, Norwich University – Northfield, Northern Vermont University – Lyndonville, Landmark College – Putney, Marlboro College – Marlboro, Castleton University – Castleton, Champlain College – Burlington, and Vermont college of fine arts.

Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level art school in Montpelier, Vermont.

It offers Master’s degrees in low-residency and residential programs.

Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award winners, Newbery Medal honorees, Guggenheim Fellowship and Fulbright Program fellows, and Ford Foundation grant recipients.

The literary magazine Hunger Mountain is operated by VCFA writing faculty and students.

What is the number 1 art school in America?

Yale University is the number 1 art school in America.

Yale University School of Art, established in 1869, is an art school that grants only Masters of Fine Arts degrees in graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.

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