Best ROI Colleges in Vermont

Looking for value in Vermont? Start here. We ranked these colleges by ROI - earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%) - all from U.S. Department of Education data, with no prestige guesswork in the mix.

9 schools ranked

Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release

#SchoolROI
1Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
86
2University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
78
3Norwich University
Northfield, VT
71
4Saint Michael's College
Colchester, VT
63
5Vermont State University
Randolph, VT
55
6Champlain College
Burlington, VT
49
7Bennington College
Bennington, VT
26
8Landmark College
Putney, VT
13
9Sterling College
Craftsbury Common, VT
10

How We Rank

Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.

Full methodology →

Common Questions

What is the best best-ROI college in Vermont?

Middlebury College tops this list at 86/100 on our ROI scale, the highest among the 9 schools ranked here. Rankings weigh net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data - no prestige guesswork.

Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?

Middlebury College reports the highest median earnings here, about $76,310 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.

What is the most affordable school on this list?

Vermont State University carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $18,212 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.

How are these schools ranked?

We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 9 schools here, 4 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.