Vermont’s independent colleges and universities have a positive impact on Vermont communities and the state.
The independent colleges:
• Enroll nearly 19,000 students or 42% of all students enrolled in Vermont
• Confer 53% of the degrees awarded in Vermont each year
• 55% of our bachelor degree-seeking students graduate within four years compared to 39% at public institutions
• Offer associate degrees and certificate programs to retrain Vermont’s workforce
• Make access possible to baccalaureate degree programs throughout Vermont
• Enroll large numbers of Vermont students, as do the public colleges, but independent college students have more opportunities to learn with students from all parts of the country
• Provide 70% of Vermont’s teacher preparation programs
• Students at independent colleges annually contribute approximately 895,400 hours of volunteer time worth over $42 million. An estimated 88% of that time is with K-12 organizations
• Offer many educational, recreational, cultural opportunities free or at minimal cost to their communities
