Bennington College, which was originally established as a college for women in 1932, became a coeducational institute in 1969. The campus occupies more than 450 acres in Bennington, Vermont. Bennington College confers bachelor's, and master's degrees in arts, fine arts, and teaching. A number of post baccalaureate certificate programs are also available.
Bennington College's students participate in sports like soccer, tennis, basketball, running, and hiking. The college also hosts a variety of on-campus clubs and organizations including the Student Endowment for the Arts, Women Here And Mobilized, Student Council, COLT, and Drama Collective. In addition, students publish a newspaper called the "Bennington Free Press", an online literary magazine known as "plain china", and a journal of art, music, and writing entitled "Silo".
Students attend Bennington in Bennington, VT, a rural site not far from an urban area. The school is a private, not-for-profit institution. Bennington degrees go up to the Master's degree.
The school has a greater breadth of degree programs (majors) than most colleges of its size. The range of program offerings available from Bennington is especially impressive compared to its number of students. The school is known for its programs in music, art studies, drama and performing arts, and liberal arts.
Bennington is selective and does not offer open admission.
The school maintains a faculty/student ratio (full-time) which is better than most colleges.
There are 723 students at Bennington (as of 2007-2008).
The school has a residential or campus feel. Bennington offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. The school offers students meal plans.
More complete details are provided below.
Bennington College
One College Drive
Bennington, VT 05201-6003
General Phone: (802) 442-5401
http://www.bennington.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 101 | English language and literature, English, liberal arts and sciences, social services, French language, Chinese language, Japanese language, international studies, ... |
| Art Studies | 44 | visual and performing arts |
| Drama and Performing Arts | 24 | drama, dance, theatre design, various performing arts, playwriting and screenwriting, directing |
| Education and Teaching | 13 | education, Spanish teaching, French language teaching, early childhood education, teacher ed, social studies teaching, English teaching, music teaching |
| Music | 10 | music, music theory and composition |
| Science | 5 | biology, physics, chemistry, biological and physical sciences, ecology |
| Medicine | 5 | pre-med |
| Photography and Commercial Art | 4 | photography, cinematography, film studies |
| Religion and Philosophy | 2 | Jewish studies, philosophy |
| Mathematics | 1 | mathematics |
| Fine Arts | 1 | sculpture, ceramics, art history and criticism |
| Therapy and Counseling | 0 | psychology |
| Conservation and Resource Management | 0 | environmental science, environmental studies |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 0 | computer science, computer and info science |
| Design | 0 | design and applied arts |
| Media | 0 | animation and special effects, communication studies, communication and journalism, media studies |
| Architecture and Planning | 0 | architecture, environmental design |
| Family and Social Work | 0 | public policy analysis, child development |
Number of programs and degrees for Bennington in 2008-2009:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 145 | 65 |
| Master's degree | 60 | 17 |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | 5 | 1 |
In 2007-2008, Bennington had a total enrollment of 723 students (694 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 35% |
| Women | 65% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 78% |
| Graduate | 22% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 85% |
| Black | 2% |
| Hispanic | 2% |
| Asian | 3% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Unknown | 6% |
| (Foreign Students) | 3% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0% |
| 18-19 | 38% |
| 20-21 | 30% |
| 22-24 | 14% |
| 25-29 | 4% |
| 30-34 | 4% |
| 35-39 | 2% |
| 40-49 | 4% |
| 50-64 | 3% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| New York | 22% |
| Massachusetts | 15% |
| California | 13% |
| Connecticut | 8% |
| New Jersey | 4% |
| Maine | 3% |
| Vermont | 3% |
| (International Students) | 3% |
| Virginia | 3% |
| Illinois | 2% |
| Rhode Island | 2% |
| Maryland | 2% |
| Washington | 2% |
| Texas | 2% |
| Pennsylvania | 2% |
| Minnesota | 1% |
| North Carolina | 1% |
| New Hampshire | 1% |
| Michigan | 1% |
| Montana | 1% |
| Louisiana | 1% |
| Ohio | 1% |
| Oregon | 1% |
| Florida | 1% |
| Colorado | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 76 % |
Bennington offers campus housing for 625 of its 694 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.
(Please refer to our profile of Bennington, Vermont for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Vermont Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 19 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,057 | 651 | 62% | 190 | 29% |
| Men | 365 | 202 | 55% | 66 | 33% |
| Women | 692 | 449 | 65% | 124 | 28% |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | recommended |
| Class Rank | recommended |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | recommended |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | recommended |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | not required |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 38,270 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 38,270 |
| Room and board | $ 10,680 |
| Room charge | $ 5,720 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 4,960 |
| Books and supplies | $ 800 |
| Other expenses | $ 2,200 |
Financial Aid:
Bennington participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 368200)
Tenure Status of Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 34 | 27 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor | calendar year | 1 | * | 0 | * |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 1 | * | 0 | * |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No academic rank | academic year | 34 | $66,895 | 27 | $65,273 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 34 | $66,895 | 27 | $65,273 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
Environmental Design/Architecture
ART STUDIES
Visual and Performing Arts, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science
Computer and Information Sciences, General
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
DESIGN
Design and Applied Arts, Other
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Dance, General
Directing and Theatrical Production
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
Playwriting and Screenwriting
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
Visual and Performing Arts, Other
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Education, General
English/Language Arts Teacher Education
French Language Teacher Education
Music Teacher Education
Social Studies Teacher Education
Spanish Language Teacher Education
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Child Development
Public Policy Analysis
FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Ceramic Arts and Ceramics
Sculpture
LIBERAL ARTS
Anthropology
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies, Other
Asian Studies/Civilization
Chinese Language and Literature
Creative Writing
English Language and Literature, General
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
French Language and Literature
General Studies
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
History, General
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
International Relations and Affairs
International/Global Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Social Sciences, Other
Spanish Language and Literature
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
MEDIA
Animation, Interactive Tech, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Communication and Media Studies, Other
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
MEDICINE
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
MUSIC
Music Theory and Composition
Music, General
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Film/Cinema Studies
Photography
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Philosophy
SCIENCE
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Ecology
Physics, General
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Bennington Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| % of degrees in art studies (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in drama and performing arts (vs. all colleges) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in music (vs. all colleges) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 9% | ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 11% | ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in liberal arts (vs. all colleges) | Top 17% | ![]() |
Notable:
Career counseling
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
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(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Bennington with government-defined occupation categories)
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