Burlington, Vermont Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Burlington, Vermont: median public in-state tuition $34,757 (+509.8% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $64,470 (+8.5% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 93.8% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $22,750 (+68.5% vs U.S.) 14,495 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Burlington serve students across Vermont with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 2 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 14,495 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $34,757. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Burlington, Vermont and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Burlington vs Vermont & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, Vermont | $34,757 | $29,947 | $22,750 | 70.9% | 14,495 |
| Vermont (state median) | N/A | N/A | $18,968 | 62.0% | 28,653 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,468,409 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Burlington, Vermont vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, Vermont | $64,470 | 93.8% | 85.4% | 2.9% | — | 85.0% | 0.36 |
| Vermont (state median) | $66,136 | 93.8% | 81.7% | 2.3% | — | 86.7% | 0.31 |
| United States | $59,402 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.36 |
Other cities in Vermont (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, Vermont | $34,757 | $29,947 | $22,750 | 70.9% | 14,495 | $64,470 | 93.8% |
| Montpelier | $7,160 | $9,952 | $10,701 | N/A | 2,841 | N/A | N/A |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,468,409 | $59,402 | 93.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 81.2%, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 60.6%, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 95.0%, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 92.5%, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 most selective colleges in Burlington, Vermont (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 65.3%, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 82.9%, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $86,753, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $81,742, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $112,282, Champlain College
Champlain College
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $95,036, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $60,781, Champlain College
Champlain College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $54,591, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $62,285, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $60,680, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $68,368, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $60,573, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $207,624, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $105,306, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Burlington, Vermont (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $20,277, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, Net Price, $39,617, Champlain College
Champlain College
Top 2 colleges in Burlington, Vermont by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 89.2%, University of Vermont
University of Vermont
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 81.7%, Champlain College
Champlain College
In-state tuition: Burlington, Vermont vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Burlington, Vermont median in-state tuition is $34,757, +509.8% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Burlington, Vermont vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Burlington, Vermont is $22,750 (+68.5% vs U.S. median $13,500).
Median earnings (10 years out): Burlington, Vermont vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Burlington, Vermont center around $64,470 (+8.5% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Burlington, Vermont vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 93.8% at the median Burlington, Vermont campus (+0.8 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Burlington, Vermont median public in-state tuition is $34,757, about +509.8% vs the national median.
Median graduate debt is $22,750 (+68.5% above the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Burlington, Vermont are $64,470, about +8.5% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,402).
The median campus reports 93.8% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (+0.8 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 85.4% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 2.9% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 85.0% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Vermont (95.0%), Champlain College (92.5%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Burlington, Vermont is 70.9% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Burlington?
This city profile covers 2 campuses in Burlington, Vermont with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Burlington?
Median in-state tuition in Burlington is $34,757 and median net price is $29,947. For Vermont overall, medians are N/A and N/A; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Burlington?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Burlington is $64,470 vs $66,136 for Vermont and $59,402 nationally.
What is student debt like for Burlington colleges?
Median completer debt in Burlington is $22,750 vs $18,968 for Vermont and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Burlington?
Top campuses on this page include University of Vermont (graduation) and University of Vermont (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Burlington?
Among 2 College Scorecard campuses in Burlington, Vermont, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, none report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment, and none report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
Sources & related
- Vermont college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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