Public · University

Vermont State University

Randolph, Vermont · Remote rural

#1 best value in Vermont
81.7%
Admit rate
$18,212
Avg net price
47%
Graduation rate
$50,331
Median earnings

Vermont State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Randolph, Vermont (remote rural setting), enrolling 3,590 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 3,590 undergradsRemote ruralAccessible · 82% admitOther · Massachusetts State College Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowy

About Randolph, Vermont

Randolph is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. Vermont granted the town on November 2, 1780, when the New Hampshire settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by New York. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
109 miles
Nearest airport
26 miles to Lebanon (LEB)

How Vermont State University compares

Selectivity81.7%

More selective than 42% · #6 most selective of 8 in Vermont

Graduation rate47%

Higher than 34% · #7 of 8 in Vermont

First-year retention68%

Higher than 26%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$50,331

Higher than 40% · #6 of 8 in Vermont

Average net price$18,212

Cheaper than 59% · #1 cheapest of 8 in Vermont

Median debt at graduation$15,000

Lower than 90%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment3,590

Larger than 72%

Percentiles compare Vermont State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Vermont.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,575students
  • Undergraduate3,59078%
  • Graduate98522%

Undergraduates by gender

3,590undergrads
  • Women1,93454%
  • Men1,65646%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White79%
  • Black5.0%
  • Hispanic5.6%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial8.6%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,590
Graduate enrollment
985
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
28%
Median family income
$42,873
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$69,426

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 562 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Vermont58%
  • Other U.S. states39%
  • International3.2%

A regional draw: about 58% of first-years come from Vermont, the rest from elsewhere.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
81.7%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,952
Out-of-state tuition
$22,296
Room & board
$13,618
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$25,988
Average net price
$18,212

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
47%
Graduated on time (4 years)
33%
First-year retention
68%
Transferred to another college
21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,340
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$50,331
Median debt at graduation
$15,000
Students with federal loans
58%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
76%

About 15% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
33%
Low-income (Pell)
61%
First-generation
59%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,027
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
84%
Housing charge (year)
$7,830
Meal plan (year)
$5,068
Application fee
$45
Athletics
Other
Football conference
Massachusetts State College Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
977 (602 men · 375 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (17)

Soccer155
Basketball112
Football102
Baseball82
Track and Field (Outdoor)66
Lacrosse65
Wrestling62
Ice Hockey54
Track and Field (Indoor)52
Volleyball42
Softball41
Tennis39
Cross Country28
Field Hockey27
Skiing25
Golf17
Other Sports8

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
18
Property offenses (2022–2024)
21

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (5,093 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

13reported offenses a year
6.0 violent a year7.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
6.3
Rape
2.7
Fondling
2.0
Statutory rape
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$14,645
$30–48k
$12,998
$48–75k
$16,279
$75–110k
$20,668
$110k+
$24,007

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$72,702

$16,279/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

94%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,937
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 94% — get grant money from Vermont State University itself, averaging $8,937, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 797 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$50,331
Typical debt at graduation
$15,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
30%
Out-earn a HS grad
75%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$45,970
Men
$54,896

Men out-earn women by $8,926 (19%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
76°F
Winter low
7°F
Annual rain
42.4″
Annual snow
88.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chelsea 2 NW, VT US station (7.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Vermont State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Vermont State University side by side →

Colleges near Vermont State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.