Higher Education Outcome Report · Northeast

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Vermont Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 13 degree-granting institutions graded

Vermont's higher education system is a below-average mobility system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $50,930, -1% vs the national median.

healthcare
tourism
advanced manufacturing

14
INSTITUTIONS: $50,930
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▼ -1% vs natl; $27,585
AVG NET PRICE: 3 / 10
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

54/100 · #25 of 50

Vermont At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

13

28,469 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~4,708

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
82nd pct

$54,359

9th of 50 states
Mobility Score
15th pct

1.2%

39th of 46 states
Talent Retention
86th pct

77%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
14th pct

2.3x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Social Sciences
Healthcare
Business

Executive Summary

Vermont graduates earn a median of $54,359 a decade after entry, 11% above the national state average, ranking 9th of 50 states.
Upward mobility sits mid-pack: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.2% rate, in the 15th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Social Sciences and Healthcare, which together account for 33% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Social Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $59,097, +14.6% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Arts & Design shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 21.1% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Vermont returns 2.3x earnings per dollar of net price, below average cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+16.2%

Median graduate earnings in Vermont are above the national average by 16%.
Cost vs National

+53%

Net price in Vermont is higher than the national average by 53%.
Mobility Rate

-0.53pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.5 percentage points below the national average.
Completion Rate

+2.4pp

Vermont's graduation rate is 2.4 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

3.2x

Top value school: University of Vermont ($62,472 earnings vs $19,343 net price).
Low-Income Access

5.5%

6% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Social Sciences (17% of graduates) and Healthcare (16% of graduates) dominate Vermont's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $63,690.

Social Sciences

17%

$63,690 avg
Healthcare

16%

$51,423 avg
Business

14%

$54,352 avg
Technology

13%

$57,255 avg
Sciences

11%

$52,320 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 12

Outcome Performance

Vermont's highest-ROI degree cluster is Engineering (Engineering), where graduates average $59,924 against a net cost of $21,263, a 2.8x return. That's +16.2% vs the national median.

Engineering
2.8x

$59,924 earnings $21,263 net +16.2% vs natl
Health Professions
2.5x

$55,719 earnings $22,435 net +8% vs natl
Physical Sciences
2.4x

$59,049 earnings $24,580 net +14.5% vs natl
Criminal Justice
2.3x

$58,097 earnings $25,443 net +12.6% vs natl
Education
2.3x

$56,114 earnings $24,630 net +8.8% vs natl
Social Sciences
2.3x

$58,954 earnings $26,192 net +14.3% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Vermont's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Health Professions 16%
Business & Marketing 14%
Computer Science & IT 11%
Social Sciences 10%
Biology & Biomedical 9%

Highest-Earning Fields

Social Sciences $67,827
Engineering $62,165
Criminal Justice $61,907
Psychology $57,127
Computer Science & IT $56,529

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Vermont's graduate supply.

Engineering $62,165 5% of grads
Criminal Justice $61,907 2% of grads
Psychology $57,127 7% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Vermont's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.2%, which puts the state in the 15th percentile nationally. 6% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.60, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.2%

▼ -0.46pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

6%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

24%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

25%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

77%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.60

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Vermont's Social Sciences programs produce graduates earning $59,097, +14.6% relative to the national median. Arts & Design graduates, however, earn 21.1% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Social Sciences
17% of enrollment

$59,097 +14.6% vs natl

5 schools
Healthcare
16% of enrollment

$55,186 +7% vs natl

5 schools
Business
14% of enrollment

$55,719 +8% vs natl

6 schools
Technology
13% of enrollment

$53,264 +3.3% vs natl

5 schools
Sciences
11% of enrollment

$49,796 -3.4% vs natl

6 schools
Arts & Design
8% of enrollment

$40,681 -21.1% vs natl

4 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Social Sciences: +14.6% vs national earnings ($59,097)

Business: +8% vs national earnings ($55,719)

Healthcare: +7% vs national earnings ($55,186)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Arts & Design: -21.1% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Vermont's higher education system includes 1 research-oriented, 1 specialized, 11 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

1

Research Universities
11

Regional Universities
1

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

University of Vermont $62,472

Cost & Access Corridors

10% of Vermont's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $36,234 at 10 years. At the premium end, 1 school charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $29,813.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

1

10% of schools
Avg earnings: $36,234
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

4

40% of schools
Avg earnings: $52,238
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

4

40% of schools
Avg earnings: $58,576
NET PRICE OVER $40K

1

10% of schools
Avg earnings: $29,813

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Vermont

Vermont is home to 14 colleges and universities, from 3 public institutions to 10 private nonprofits. University of Vermont anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $50,930 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Burlington, Montpelier and Bennington, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Biology & Biomedical, Psychology and Visual & Performing Arts. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Vermont

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $27,650 a year across Vermont. University of Vermont stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Vermont's economy leans on healthcare, tourism and advanced manufacturing, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Biology & Biomedical, Psychology and Visual & Performing Arts feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Vermont level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Vermont earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$50,930

▲ +$7,093 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$27,650

▼ +$9,574 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

1.8x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is Vermont Right for You?

Vermont is a strong fit if you want to build a career in healthcare and tourism, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Top Schools

Middlebury College · VT Norwich University · VT University of Vermont · VT Saint Michael's College · VT Champlain College · VT Vermont State University · VT

FAQ

How many colleges are in Vermont?

There are 14 colleges and universities in Vermont in our dataset — 3 public, 10 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in Vermont?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Middlebury College leads, followed by schools like Norwich University and University of Vermont.

How much does college cost in Vermont?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $27,650 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Vermont?

Vermont's economy is anchored by healthcare, tourism and advanced manufacturing, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Vermont?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. University of Vermont, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 14 schools in Vermont

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

14 institutions in Vermont

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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