Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont · Private Nonprofit · 44.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 26/100 · Poor Value
Bennington College, the famously experimental Vermont liberal arts school, scores 26 out of 100 on the CampusROI framework, the kind of number that requires unpacking rather than acceptance at face value. The cost stack is steep: $66,262 in tuition, $30,947 net price, $123,788 over four years. The outcomes data is harsh: $28,500 median 6-year earnings, $38,289 at 10 years, and an 80.2-year payback period that effectively means earnings never recoup the cost on standard discount assumptions. The 0.912 debt-to-earnings ratio is heavy and the earnings premium subscore of 9 is among the lowest in the dataset. The flip side is that Bennington's completion rate is 71.2%, repayment rate is 80.5%, and the institution attracts a self-selected population of writers, performers, dancers, and visual artists who attend for the pedagogy (Bennington's signature Field Work Term, narrative evaluations, and faculty-as-working-artists model), not for labor-market outcomes. The Scorecard earnings figure undersells the eventual creative-economy trajectories of many Bennington alumni, but the federal numbers are what they are, and prospective families should weigh them honestly.
The data raises concerns about Bennington College
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score26/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers — the cost may not recoup within a working career.
Bennington College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $66,262/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $66,262/yr |
| Average net price | $30,947/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $123,788 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,289 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 71.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 780 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Bennington College is $66,262/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $30,947/year, or roughly $123,788 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $18,480/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,625/year.
The median graduate leaves with $26,000 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $276 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $38,289 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.91 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $18,480 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,012 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,336 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,508 |
| $110,001+ | $44,625 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $18,480 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually pays slightly less at $18,012, a small inverted-bracket flag that almost certainly reflects sampling noise rather than policy. For Pell-eligible students, the aid is meaningful but the $73,920 four-year cost is still very heavy against $28,500 in early-career earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 band pays $22,336 and the $75,001-$110,000 band pays $25,508. Bennington's aid curve flattens through middle income and effectively concentrates the discount on lowest-income households. Middle-income families effectively pay a premium for the Bennington pedagogy that the post-graduation earnings curve will not service.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $44,625 net, the steepest income cliff in this batch: a jump from $25,508 to $44,625 between the $75-$110K and $110K-plus brackets. Bennington's pricing assumes wealthy families pay the bulk of sticker. For families who can self-fund, the school's distinctive pedagogy may justify the cost; for those who cannot, this is the bracket where parent PLUS debt becomes structurally risky.
Earnings by Major
Top 4 most popular majors at Bennington College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Literature | $18,152 | F |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $39,958 | F |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $23,575 | F |
| Music | $26,241 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Literature
Literature graduates 31 students with $18,152 in 1-year earnings (4-year data not reported) and a 1.487 debt-to-earnings ratio against $27,000 of debt, earning an F grade. Year-one earnings are below a living wage in most metros, and even with the assumption that literature graduates pursue editorial, teaching, or graduate-school paths that pay better mid-career, the undergraduate-only outcome is structurally weak. Bennington's writing program is celebrated, but the wage data is what families should plan around.
Visual and Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts is Bennington's largest reported cohort at 29 graduates. Earnings climb from $20,809 at year one to $39,958 at year four, a substantial trajectory by arts-program standards, but the 1.298 debt-to-earnings ratio still earns an F. The pattern is consistent with portfolio careers that take time to consolidate: gallery work, freelance commissions, and adjunct teaching that gradually scale. The undergraduate years of debt service are the hard part.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama graduates 19 students with $16,579 in 1-year earnings, $23,575 at year four, and a 1.595 debt-to-earnings ratio earning an F. This is the most cautionary program at Bennington by the data: debt is 60% larger than first-year pay, and 4-year earnings barely cross the $23K threshold. Theater careers do exist after Bennington, but the Scorecard view of the first four post-degree years is unflattering. Students should plan to minimize borrowing for this pathway.
Music
Music graduates 14 students. The Scorecard cohort is small enough that earnings and debt are partly suppressed: only the $26,241 4-year earnings figure is reported. The pattern at Bennington is consistent across the arts: high completion rate, strong faculty pedigree, weak early-career earnings, and a long-tail mid-career trajectory that the 4-year-post-degree window does not capture. Treat this as a vocational program that requires non-debt funding.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 79.4% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 80.5% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.1% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 87.1% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 44.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 588-653 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 703-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 30-32 |
| Enrollment | 780 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 25.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $10,055 |
Bennington admits 44.5% of applicants, putting it in moderately selective territory. SAT mid-ranges are notably skewed: math 588-653 but reading 703-750, with ACT composites of 30-32, reflecting the strong verbal and humanities orientation of the applicant pool. The 71.2% completion rate is healthy and confirms that Bennington's admissions process is selecting students who are matched to the unconventional academic model. Test-prepared writers and artists fare best.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Bennington's peer comparison set is uneven. Middlebury College, another Vermont liberal arts institution, is a far higher-ROI peer driven by stronger earnings outcomes from a broader major mix and a larger endowment. Champlain College is a Vermont private with a career-applied curriculum (game design, business) that produces much stronger earnings. The remaining peers (Be-er Yaakov, Warner, Drury continuing) are not directly comparable. Within the close peer set, Bennington's arts-heavy mix and small scale produce the weakest earnings outcomes in Vermont private higher education, despite a strong completion rate.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington College (this school) | 26 | $30,947 | $38,289 |
| Middlebury College | 86 | $31,483 | $76,310 |
| Champlain College | 49 | $35,860 | $58,386 |
| Warner University | 28 | $19,748 | $46,086 |
| Be'er Yaakov Talmudic Seminary | 25 | $4,543 | $17,360 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | 24 | $10,566 | $40,694 |
Who Thrives Here
Bennington fits the specific student who wants a small, immersive, project-based undergraduate experience in the arts and humanities and who has either family resources or a clear acceptance of the long-tail creative-economy career path. With 780 students and a 25.3% Pell rate, it skews wealthier than the average liberal arts college. Strong fits include writers, dancers, theater makers, and visual artists with a portfolio and a vocation. Weak fits include students whose families would borrow heavily and students unsure about an arts pathway; the earnings data is unforgiving.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Bennington College. With a net cost of $30,947 per year and median graduate earnings of only $38,289 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Key strengths include a 71.2% graduation rate. However, the data also shows weak earnings relative to cost and high debt relative to what graduates earn and a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 against $38,289 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.