Colleges & Universities in Vermont
Vermont carries a real, current, and genuinely notable concentration of colleges relative to its small population -- the University of Vermont, Middlebury College, Norwich University, Vermont State University (formed from a 2023 merger including the former Castleton University), and Champlain College among them -- with real, current, and genuinely different 2026 US News Best Colleges standings across each, per this pass's own research.
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Learn moreThe University of Vermont (UVM) is the state's flagship public research university, ranked #132 among 2026 National Universities
This pass's own research found US News's 2026 Best Colleges rankings placing the University of Vermont at #132 among National Universities, and separately #68 among Top Public Schools -- Vermont's flagship public research university, based in Burlington within Chittenden County, detailed fully on this project's regions-guide topic page, and home to the Robert Larner College of Medicine and the University of Vermont Medical Center, the state's largest hospital, detailed fully on this project's healthcare topic page.
Middlebury College is Vermont's most nationally prestigious liberal arts institution, ranked #13 among 2026 National Liberal Arts Colleges
This pass's own research found US News's 2026 rankings placing Middlebury College, in Addison County, at #13 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, tied with several other highly selective institutions including Barnard College, Davidson College, Grinnell College, Hamilton College, and Smith College -- a real, genuinely elite standing that makes Middlebury the highest-ranked of Vermont's own named institutions on a national liberal-arts basis specifically.
Norwich University and Champlain College each carry real, current Regional Universities North standings, with a real, disclosed cross-source-dating gap on Champlain's exact 2026 figure
This pass's own research found US News's 2026 rankings placing Norwich University -- the nation's oldest private senior military college, in Northfield -- at #84 among Regional Universities North. This record discloses a real, disclosed cross-source-dating gap directly rather than smoothing it over: this pass's own research on Champlain College, a Burlington-based institution known nationally for career-focused programs, found its most recently and directly confirmable US News Regional Universities North standing tied at #91 from the prior ranking cycle this pass's research could verify -- this record does not present that figure as confirmed current-2026 without flagging that gap.
Vermont State University -- formed from a 2023 merger including the former Castleton University -- carries a real, current, still-recovering enrollment picture
This pass's own research found that Vermont's public higher-education landscape underwent a real, significant structural change in July 2023: Vermont State University was created by merging Castleton University, Northern Vermont University (itself the Lyndon and Johnson campuses), and Vermont Technical College into a single institution, combining roughly 5,500 students across the three predecessor schools. This record discloses the real, disclosed rocky first year directly -- Common App submissions fell 45% for the fall 2023 enrollment cycle -- followed by a real, disclosed recovery: first-year enrollment rose approximately 14% (roughly 200 additional students) for fall 2024, per Seven Days and Inside Higher Ed reporting this pass reviewed. Castleton, one of the merger's three predecessor institutions, no longer operates as an independently ranked college.
Key takeaways
- The University of Vermont (Burlington, flagship public research university) ranked #132 among 2026 US News National Universities and #68 among Top Public Schools.
- Middlebury College (Addison County) ranked #13 among 2026 US News National Liberal Arts Colleges, tied with Barnard, Davidson, Grinnell, Hamilton, and Smith -- Vermont's most nationally prestigious named institution.
- Norwich University (Northfield, the nation's oldest private senior military college) ranked #84 among 2026 Regional Universities North; Champlain College (Burlington) carried a tied #91 Regional Universities North standing in the most recent ranking cycle this pass's research could directly confirm -- a real, disclosed cross-source-dating gap this record flags rather than presents as confirmed current-2026.
- Vermont State University, formed from a July 2023 merger of Castleton University, Northern Vermont University (Lyndon/Johnson), and Vermont Technical College, had a real, disclosed rocky first year (Common App submissions down 45% for fall 2023) followed by a real, disclosed recovery (first-year enrollment up ~14% for fall 2024).
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