1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Middlebury College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Middlebury College VT · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #708 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/middlebury-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/middlebury-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/middlebury-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/middlebury-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/middlebury-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Middlebury College #708 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Middlebury College is a private liberal arts campus in Vermont where the social sciences dominate the degree mix. Access is the strongest pillar, at above average, while affordability is the weakest, at modestly below average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. The shortfall is not explained by what students study or where they work. The published cost is high, but aid covers a large share of it for the average recipient. What a family pays depends heavily on earnings, with a wide gap between the lowest and highest income bands. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest. Computer Science and Economics lead on earnings, while the biggest family is the Social Sciences. ## Middlebury College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 10.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 91.4% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $71,188 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,510 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $13,857 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $27,380 ## Middlebury College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Middlebury College is a private nonprofit university in Middlebury, Vermont, enrolling 2,738 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (the 52nd percentile). The university admits 10.8% of applicants. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 71.2%. Of full-time first-year students, 93.7% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 91.4%, against a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 1.5% of entrants are not first-time, full-time students, so this rate describes nearly the entire student body. The first-time, full-time cohort that the graduation rate tracks is therefore representative of most students who study here. The four pillars at Middlebury College sit far apart from one another. Access ranks highest (the 68th percentile) and affordability lowest (the 35th percentile). Return and mobility sit in between, at the 59th and 38th percentiles respectively. Access is the strongest pillar and affordability is the weakest for Middlebury College. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Middlebury College #708 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The four pillars sit in a narrow band, with access the strongest at the 68th percentile and affordability the weakest at the 35th percentile. Return is in the 59th percentile and mobility in the 38th percentile. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Middlebury College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #708 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 38 **Access & reach** National percentile: 68 **[Affordability](/school/middlebury-college/cost/)** National percentile: 35 **[Return on investment](/school/middlebury-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 59 01 / Middlebury College briefing ## [Middlebury College cost & financial aid](/school/middlebury-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Middlebury College lists a published cost of attendance of $85,880, an average across living arrangements. Its tuition and fees are $67,600 and room and board $19,250. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — what families pay after grants and scholarships — is $31,483. That figure is $4,112 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the published cost by an average of $54,397. Azimuth ranks the university #913 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $85,880 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks Middlebury College #913 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $12,723, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $17,510, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $49,824. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $37,101. Aid covers about 63% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $31,483, which is $4,112 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $13,857 in federal student loans. That is $10,342 below the $24,199 peer median. 84.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,380. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $157 a month. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$17,510** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Middlebury College Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of Middlebury College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $71,188. That is $2,938 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The raw earnings figure sits at the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,123 less than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the gap at the 1st percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a typical scenario of $71,188, a downside scenario of $49,883, and an upside scenario of $118,682. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $13,857 in federal loans, $10,342 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $157 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $27,380. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $157 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $13,857 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $27,380 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $157/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $348/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=middlebury-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/middlebury-college/cost/) 02 / Middlebury College briefing ## [Middlebury College career outcomes & earnings](/school/middlebury-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The return picture at Middlebury College shows a gap between raw earnings and what the model expects. Graduates earn a median of $71,188 four years after completion, which is $2,938 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That places the median in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,123 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 1st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is at the 59th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,294. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $31,417. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,721. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Middlebury College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $71,188. That figure is $2,938 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and places the college in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 463 completers. Graduates earn about $26,123 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 1st percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix put the typical scenario at the observed median, with a downside of $49,883 and an upside of $118,682. An estimated 42.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $71,188, in the 78th percentile nationally. That is $2,938 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Middlebury College #600 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,123 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome sits at the 1st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,294. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $31,417. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,721. The program mix leans heavily toward the social sciences, biological sciences and natural resources and conservation. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $49,883 on the downside to $118,682 on the upside. An estimated 42.4% continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios are estimated from the program mix rather than based on actual graduate cohorts. The downside earnings scenario reaches $49,883 and the upside reaches $118,682. That wide spread shows how much outcomes vary by program. Computer Science graduates earn $128,471 four years after completion, from 53 degrees a year. Economics follows at $123,477, with 111 degrees a year. Natural Resources Conservation and Research sits far below those program medians, at $53,518. Graduates of Middlebury College earn about $26,123 less than the model expects for similar students. That is a large gap, and it changes the return calculation for anyone borrowing to attend. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who finish is $13,857, which is $10,342 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $157 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,380 in Parent PLUS loans. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $31,483. Aid covers about 63% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, though this is an average rather than a personal quote. A family weighing the cost should look closely at the net price for their income band and the program-level earnings, since the return varies sharply by field. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,294 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$31,417 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$26,123 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/middlebury-college/outcomes/) 03 / Middlebury College briefing ## [Middlebury College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/middlebury-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Middlebury College admits 10.8% of applicants, a rate far below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 12,524 first-year applicants and 1,347 admitted applicants. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 10.7% **25th percentile** 1450 **Median** 1500 **75th percentile** 1530 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/middlebury-college/admissions/) 04 / Middlebury College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Middlebury College?](/school/middlebury-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The five largest programs at Middlebury College show a wide earnings spread four years after completion, from $128,471 in Computer Science down to $53,518 in Natural Resources Conservation and Research. Economics awards the most degrees, at 111 a year, and its graduates earn a median of $123,477. Computer Science is smaller, with 53 degrees awarded, but posts the highest earnings among the largest programs. International Relations and National Security Studies and Neuroscience sit in the middle of the range, with medians of $92,728 and $90,917 from 49 and 48 degrees awarded, respectively. The highest-earning fields are not the ones producing the most graduates. Social Sciences accounts for 30.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, ahead of Biological Sciences at 14.1% and Natural Resources & Conservation at 7.6%. The largest single program is Economics, at 111 degrees a year. Its completers earn a median of $123,477 four years after completion. Computer Science is smaller at 53 degrees a year but posts the highest earnings among the largest programs, at $128,471. Natural Resources Conservation and Research awards 62 degrees and its graduates earn $53,518. The program mix at Middlebury College is anchored by Social Sciences, which accounts for 30.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Biological Sciences is the second-largest family at 14.1%, followed by Natural Resources & Conservation at 7.6%. The largest programs are Economics with 111 degrees awarded, Natural Resources Conservation and Research with 62 degrees awarded, and Computer Science with 53 degrees awarded. Computer Science is the highest-earning program, with median earnings of $128,471 four years after completion from 53 degrees awarded. Its earnings are 1.20x the national median for its field. Economics, the largest program, reports median earnings of $123,477 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio—program earnings compared with the national field median—of 1.49x. Economics follows closely at $123,477. The pattern shows a concentration of strength in the social sciences and quantitative fields, with Economics and Computer Science leading in both size and earnings. Across all fields, 26.5% of degrees are in STEM. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common may understate later career paths. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 111 degrees awarded** $123,477 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research 62 degrees awarded** $53,518 **Computer Science 53 degrees awarded** $128,471 **International Relations and National Security Studies 49 degrees awarded** $92,728 **Neurobiology and Neurosciences 48 degrees awarded** $90,917 **Political Science and Government 46 degrees awarded** $77,444 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/middlebury-college/majors/) 05 / Middlebury College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Middlebury College?](/school/middlebury-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/middlebury-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Middlebury College. Admissions peerWilliams College8.3% admitted+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | Williams College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $80,487+$9,299 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $17,716\-$13,767 vs Middlebury College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 8.3% | [Explore Williams College →](/school/williams-college/) Higher-admission alternativeUniversity at Albany69.1% admitted+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | University at Albany | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $66,256\-$4,932 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $17,167\-$14,316 vs Middlebury College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 69.1% | [Explore University at Albany →](/school/university-at-albany/) Nearby alternativeWilliams CollegeNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | Williams College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $80,487+$9,299 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $17,716\-$13,767 vs Middlebury College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 8.3% | [Explore Williams College →](/school/williams-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeDartmouth College$111,883 earnings+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | Dartmouth College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $111,883+$40,695 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $29,519\-$1,964 vs Middlebury College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 5.4% | [Explore Dartmouth College →](/school/dartmouth-college/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity at Albany$17,167 average net price+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | University at Albany | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $66,256\-$4,932 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $17,167\-$14,316 vs Middlebury College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 69.1% | [Explore University at Albany →](/school/university-at-albany/) Similar profileChamplain CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Middlebury College | Measure | Middlebury College | Champlain College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $71,188 | $71,587+$399 vs Middlebury College | | Average annual net price | $31,483 | $35,860+$4,377 vs Middlebury College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 10.7% | 82.9% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/middlebury-college/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)