What Kind of School Bennington Is
Let’s start with the basics, because the basics here are not trivial.
Bennington College is a private, nonprofit bachelor’s college focused on the arts and sciences. The system that classifies colleges in the United States places it among small, highly residential four-year schools: at least half of its undergraduate students live in institution-owned housing, and eight out of ten attend full time. It also falls within the selective-admission group, something we will examine with exact figures later.
Being “highly residential” is not a decorative detail. It means that much of a Bennington student’s life takes place on campus, and that the cost of living there—room and board—is almost never included with tuition in the first number you see in a brochure. Ask for it separately, including the meal plan, before comparing this school with any other.
Geographically, Bennington College is in the town of Bennington, Vermont, in a setting classified as remote from large cities. It is not within an urban area. If your family does not live nearby, you will need to figure out separately where your child would live during the rest of the year, how your child would get to campus, and how far from home it would feel. This fact only identifies the school’s location; it does not tell you how long your own trip would take.
In terms of academic levels, the institution reports the master’s degree as the highest degree it offers, and it is classified as a school that primarily awards bachelor’s degrees or higher. That does not mean the specific major that interests your child offers a path to a graduate degree at the same institution. Verify the exact program.
One final point about its identity, where precision matters: Bennington College is not listed as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. Bennington’s absence from those groups says nothing about which students it serves today, how many Latino students are on its campus, or how your child would feel there. Ask directly: which cultural centers exist, which student organizations are active, and, if possible, whether you can speak with someone who already studies there.
A Small Community, and What That Means
Bennington College is small. In the most recent official count, it had 867 enrolled students, of whom 776 were undergraduates and 91 were graduate students. Compared with 941 similar private selective schools, it is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools have more students. Above all, this is an undergraduate school.
Being small does not make it better or worse. But it does change a question you should ask: whether courses in the major that interests your child are offered every semester or only once a year. That affects how long it actually takes to graduate.
As for who makes up the student body: 10 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, although compared with similar private selective schools, Bennington is above the midpoint of the group for that percentage—without reaching the highest quarter. That comparison does not account for Bennington’s location in Vermont, a state with a relatively small Latino population overall, so interpret it with that context in mind. If the number of Latino students on campus matters to your family’s decision, ask during the visit what specifically exists: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in an office who speaks Spanish.
There are also more women than men—68 out of every 100—and few adult students: only 6 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. Where entering students came from—which states or countries—is not reported for this cycle. That information simply does not exist in the public record, and it is not estimated.
How Academics Work
The year at Bennington is organized into two semesters of about 15 weeks each. The institution reported that it accepts credit for AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”: learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses, or military or professional opportunities. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a truth worth stating plainly: the school’s statement that it accepts AP credit does not mean it will award credit for every exam at every score. We do not know what scores it requires or whether those credits apply to your child’s specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for what people study there: in the most recent year reported, Bennington awarded 151 bachelor’s degrees across 27 fields of study. But the distribution is not even. Visual and performing arts accounted for 57 of those 151 degrees—38 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, Bennington ranks in the quarter with the most fields of study represented in its offerings. It is a school with a broad catalog but a clear center of gravity in the arts. That does not measure the quality of any particular program; it only describes where its degrees are concentrated. If your child wants to study something outside that area, it is worth confirming directly how strong that specific program is.
One number that often catches families’ attention: the student-to-faculty ratio is 9 to 1, one of the lowest among comparable schools—of the 941 similar schools, Bennington ranks in the lowest quarter. It is a real number, but it does not measure class size or a professor’s actual availability. It compares full-time equivalents; it does not count seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
As for structured opportunities, the institution reports that it offers study abroad as a formal academic pathway.
Getting In: A Long Application and a Rate That Must Be Read Carefully
Bennington does not have open admission. Among the application components it reviews before making a decision, it marked six as required: the high school transcript, grade point average, completion of the required college-preparatory curriculum, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. It also considers—though does not require—class rank, a portfolio or work sample, and work experience.
Simply put, this is a long application that takes real time, not something to complete the night before the deadline. The good news is that the published application fee is $0.
Now for the admission figures. In the most recent cycle, Bennington received 2,825 first-year applications and offered admission to 1,357 applicants. That is 48 out of every 100 applicants admitted. Compared with similar private selective schools, this rate is on the low side: seven out of ten of those schools admit a higher percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 1,468 applicants who did not receive an offer. The record does not distinguish among applicants who were denied admission, waitlisted, or withdrew their applications. And this 48% applies to the entire school, not to any particular major—if your child is pursuing a specific program, ask admissions for that information directly.
Here is something many families do not examine, even though it says as much as or more than the admission rate: out of every 100 students Bennington admitted, only 16 chose to enroll. The other 84 received a yes but did not take it. Compared with similar schools, this number is right in the middle of the group—neither especially high nor especially low. Do not read it as a stain on the school: the federal record does not explain why each person made the choice they did. What it does tell you very clearly is this: what others decided does not predict what your child will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the net price—what the year would actually cost—before drawing any conclusions.
As for standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required at Bennington. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds just the same. Among the students who did enroll, 17 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score. Among those students, the middle half scored between 690 and 740 in reading and writing, and between 600 and 673 in mathematics. Keep in mind that those ranges apply to students who had already enrolled and submitted scores. They do not represent all applicants, and that 690 is not a minimum, nor is that 740 a guarantee of anything.
One more fact worth keeping in mind if the conversation at home includes “what if my child starts here and then transfers”: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 26 out of every 100 transferred to another school without finishing at Bennington. This is a relatively common proportion among similar schools—it is slightly above the midpoint of that group. The report does not say why they left, and leaving does not mean that they did poorly. But it is important to know this: a student who transfers does not count as a Bennington graduate in the official figures, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. Keep that fact in mind when we reach the graduation rates.
The Published Price: What Bennington Reports Before Any Aid
At Bennington College, among 20 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $18,950. Among 20 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $26,325; among 52 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $43,365. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $24,415 between the average for the lowest-income band (20 students) and the average for the highest-income band (52 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $35,108.
$18,950 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter you receive is what matters.
How It Is Paid For: Grants, Loans, and a Figure Every Parent Should See Before Signing Anything
Most Bennington students receive something: 96 out of every 100 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average was $48,846 per year. That is a large figure, but it is an average: it includes some students who received much more and others who received much less. The federal Pell Grant, reserved for low-income families, reached 23 out of every 100 students.
None of these averages is your offer. What matters when your letter arrives is how much your family would have to pay out of pocket after all aid. That is the number to compare across schools, not the size of the discount they offer.
Now for the loan portion, and here I prefer to say it plainly: at Bennington, 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in the most recent year reported. That is nearly half. Among those who borrowed, each took out an average of $6,254 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $25,016, not including interest. Compared with similar schools, this proportion of students with loans is in the middle of the group: neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
That average covers only the federal loan in the student’s name for one year. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit cards. And it is not the total debt with which a student graduates—to determine that, you would need to add all four years, and that number is not in any public report.
The figure that truly matters—how much your child specifically would have to borrow—comes from your child’s own financial aid letter, not from this average. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
As for payment options, the institution reports that it offers a tuition installment plan in addition to the traditional FAFSA and financial aid process.
Campus Life, Athletics, and Support
Bennington does have institution-owned housing, with a reported capacity of 799 students. Not everyone is required to live there—the institution stated that it does not impose that universal requirement—but it also does not say that no program requires it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. Before assuming that room and board are optional for your child, ask for the exact rule that applies to your child’s program and year.
As for ROTC, Bennington did not mark any opportunity in its report—not the general box or any of the three military branches. Of the 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide, 926 did mark it; Bennington was not among them. That does not prove there is no nearby option; it only means none was reported in this field. If that scholarship matters to you, ask admissions directly before ruling out the school.
As for athletics, Bennington reports that it does not participate in intercollegiate athletics and does not belong to any national athletic association—not the NCAA, the NAIA, or any of the others listed. If athletics are part of your child’s plan, this fact carries weight. Ask whether intramural leagues or clubs exist; a club is not the same as a competitive varsity team.
The school does offer distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in practice fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students take their entire academic course load that way. It also explicitly reported that it has no complete program that can be completed entirely through distance education. If this matters to your family, confirm it in writing with the exact major in mind.
The library operates with paid staff, has physical and digital collections, and participates in interlibrary lending. Its annual spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold that the government records as a minimum reference point. Who provides assistance, during which hours, and how much support is available for your child’s research—that is not in the data, so ask directly.
Finally, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, and a published webpage for services for students with disabilities.
What Happens to Students: Staying, Graduating, and What Remains Unresolved
Here we reach the part that should matter most to you, because it addresses the question you are really asking: if my child enrolls here, how likely is my child to finish?
Let’s start with retention. Of the 214 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in 2022, 182 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is 85 out of every 100—a high proportion that places Bennington near the top compared with similar schools. But this number combines two distinct groups—those still studying and those who have already graduated—without separating them, and it says nothing about what happened to the other 32.
The graduation rate is where the picture becomes more nuanced. Of the 219 first-time, full-time students who began bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, 146 had graduated from Bennington within six years: 67 out of every 100. At four years—the timeframe most families have budgeted for—the figure falls to 51 out of every 100, sixteen percentage points lower. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages.
Of the rest of that cohort of 219: 56 transferred without completing a degree at Bennington, 1 student remained enrolled without finishing, and 16 fell into the “no longer enrolled” category, which does not explain why. Compared with similar private selective schools, half or more of that group reported the same or a lower proportion of graduates—Bennington is in the upper part of the comparison, though not overwhelmingly so.
One final perspective, using a longer lens: looking at students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including full-time and part-time students, first-time students, and those with prior college experience—at the eight-year cutoff, 63 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Bennington. Among Pell Grant recipients, that figure rises to 70 out of every 100, eight percentage points above the group without Pell Grants. Another 24 out of every 100 appears without a credential from the school, although the data do not clarify precisely whether they were still enrolled somewhere at the time of the cutoff. And 13 out of every 100 had unknown enrollment status—the report simply could not determine what happened to them.
None of these figures tells you what will happen to your child specifically. They are aggregate outcomes for entire cohorts, not an individual prediction. What you can do with them is ask, during a visit or in conversations with admissions, which concrete supports exist to help a student finish on time, and request the most recent outcomes the school has available.
Putting the Pieces Together
This is one piece of the map, not the entire map. You still need to connect it with what your child truly wants to study and what your child has built so far in preparation. And you still need to connect it with what your family can and is willing to pay, something you will know with certainty only when the financial aid letter arrives with your child’s name on it.
Your child’s job is to research the program, write the essay well ahead of time, and decide whether this place—small, artistic, and remote from large cities—makes sense for your child’s life. Your job is to understand the money, request the letters in writing, compare net prices rather than published prices, and support the decision without carrying it alone or leaving your child to carry it alone. With this piece now in hand, you have a better idea of what to ask when the time comes to decide.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and public reports from the United States Department of Education, primarily covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Bennington College or any government agency; this article is not a substitute for official or personalized information that the college itself can provide.