# Bennington College

Private nonprofit college in Bennington, VT. IPEDS ID 230816.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/bennington-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/bennington-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 45% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $30,947 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 71%; beats 57% of VT colleges and 80% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $38,289; beats 14% of VT colleges and 9% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,250

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $18,480 |
| 30-48k | $18,012 |
| 48-75k | $22,336 |
| 75-110k | $25,508 |
| 110k+ | $44,625 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.27 years on average (51% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $38,289 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in VT (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $18,480 | $78,910 | no earnings gain |
| 30-48k | $18,012 | $76,911 | no earnings gain |
| 48-75k | $22,336 | $95,375 | no earnings gain |
| 75-110k | $25,508 | $108,919 | no earnings gain |
| 110k+ | $44,625 | $190,549 | no earnings gain |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $87,284
- Tuition and fees: $66,262
- Housing and meals: $18,640; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 703–750; SAT math: 588–653; ACT: 30–32 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,825 applicants, 1,357 admitted, 216 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 45%, ACT 30–32 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 48%, ACT 30–32 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (77 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual and Performing Arts | $20,809 | $39,958 | $27,000 |
| Music | not reported | $26,241 | not reported |
| Theatre | $16,579 | $23,575 | $26,445 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architecture | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Software and Media Applications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Literature | $18,152 | not reported | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature / Letters, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Library Science and Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Botany / Plant Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Museology / Museum Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist: median wage not reported (metro), $77,460 (VT), $82,220 (U.S.)
- Architecture → Architect: median wage not reported (metro), $82,400 (VT), $99,280 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).