VT · Medium public institution · Overall rank #459 nationally
Data snapshot · Updated
Azimuth ranks Vermont State University #459 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.
Who it’s a good fit for
Vermont State University is a public university in Randolph, Vermont, where the degree mix is concentrated in Health Professions, Business, and Engineering Technologies. Affordability is well above average, and mobility is well above average.
Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools. Return is modestly below average.
The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate above the overall cohort, and mobility is well above average.
The lowest income band averages a net price well below the published cost, while the highest band pays close to the sticker price. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools.
Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the best-paid programs are in technical fields rather than the largest ones.
Vermont State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]
Vermont State University is a public university in Randolph, Vermont, enrolling 3,590 undergraduates. The university's composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The university admits 81.7% of applicants, a rate close to the 85.9% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 67.8% return for a second year, compared with a peer median of 73.7%.
The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 47.2%, just below the peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 49.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so first-time full-time students make up a slight majority of entrants.
A slight majority of entrants at Vermont State University are first-time full-time students. The four sit apart.
Affordability is the strongest (84th percentile), and mobility is close behind. Return is the weakest, at the 32nd percentile, with access in between.
Affordability is the strongest pillar in Azimuth's profile of Vermont State University, sitting in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is close behind, in the 82nd percentile.
Access is in the 56th percentile. Return is the weakest of the four, at the 32nd percentile. Cost and economic mobility stand out more than the raw earnings figures.
34.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Vermont State University #641 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Pell recipients complete at 67.4%, 20.2 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #270 for mobility. Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students.
The published cost of attendance at Vermont State University is $25,988. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay an average net price of $18,212, which is $4,144 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
On average, aid covers about 30% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Azimuth ranks the university #234 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 84th percentile.
The published cost of attendance at Vermont State University is $25,988. Azimuth ranks the university #234 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For families earning under $30,000, it averages $14,645; for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, it averages $16,279; and for those earning over $110,000, it averages $24,007. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,362.
Aid covers about 30% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,212, which is $4,144 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $15,000 in federal student loans. That is $6,229 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,735 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month. It estimates what a family might pay based on their own finances.
Your family income
Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.
Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$16,279
After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.
Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.
Borrowing and repayment at Vermont State University
Federal borrowing is widespread at Vermont State University: 95.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $15,000.
That is $6,229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The spread in borrowing is relatively tight.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $14,735.
Among federally aided graduates of Vermont State University who are working and not enrolled four years after completion, the median is $56,249. That is $1,052 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that median sits at the 37th percentile. Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students.
Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that gap is at the 39th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios run from $41,524 to $75,510, with $56,249 as the typical case.
Federal debt for borrowers who complete sits at a median of $15,000, $6,229 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that amount brings an estimated payment of $170 a month.
The result is uneven: graduates carry less federal debt than the peer median but also earn less.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,735. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years.
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
Estimated student payment · monthly
$170/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$187/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.
The median four years after completion is $56,249 for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, below the peer median and the model's expectation. The return pillar for Vermont State University sits at the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That median lands in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, leaving the university $1,052 below that mark.
Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations result sits at the 39th percentile.
The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,498. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,702. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $168.
The median for Vermont State University graduates four years out is $56,249, measured among 1,717 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That earnings level sits at the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
This median reflects the institution as a whole rather than any single program. Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings beyond expectations measure the difference between actual graduate pay and the model's prediction for similar students. That places the earnings gap at the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $41,524 to $75,510, with a typical outcome of $56,249. An estimated 23.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.
The median earnings picture at Vermont State University shows a wide spread in what individual programs can deliver. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,249, at the 37th percentile nationally.
That is $1,052 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #997 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students. The gap sits at the 39th percentile.
The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,498. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,702.
Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $168. The fields that graduates enter matter a great deal here.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $41,524 to an upside of $75,510. An estimated 23.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.
The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $41,524 on the downside to $75,510 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.
At the upper end, Construction Management graduates earn $88,301 four years after completion, from 5 degrees awarded a year. Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians follows at $84,601, and Nursing at $77,267.
Vermont State University lists a published cost of attendance of $25,988. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cover about 30% of that sticker price.
The resulting is $18,212, which sits $4,144 above the $14,068 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish hold a median of $15,000 in federal student loans.
That figure is $6,229 below the $21,229 peer median. If repaid over ten years, that amount gives an estimated monthly payment of $170.
Graduates earn about $4,204 less than the model expects for similar students. Parent borrowers carry a separate median of $14,735 in Parent PLUS loans, a population distinct from student borrowers.
What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$4,498
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$8,702
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$4,204
These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.
The five programs with published earnings data at Vermont State University span a wide range, from $51,438 to $88,301 four years after completion. The highest-earning fields are not the ones awarding the most degrees.
Business Administration and Management is the largest program, with 23 degrees awarded and median earnings of $51,438. Nursing is close behind in size at 21 degrees awarded, and its graduates earn $77,267.
Azimuth ranks it #297 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, and #1 in Vermont. At the higher-earning end, Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians awards 7 degrees and reports median earnings of $84,601.
Construction Management is smaller, with 5 degrees awarded, but its graduates earn $88,301. The earnings spread across these programs shows that field of study matters a great deal for outcomes at the university.
At Vermont State University, Health Professions leads the degree mix at 32.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Business at 29.2% and Engineering Technologies at 27.1%. Azimuth ranks 1 program nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Nursing holds that rank at #297 within its field and #1 in Vermont, with 21 degrees awarded and completers earning $77,267 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management is the biggest program, awarding 23 degrees a year; completers earn $51,438 four years after completion.
The highest-earning program is Construction Management, a smaller field with 5 degrees awarded and median earnings of $88,301. Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians is next, at 7 degrees awarded and $84,601.
Vermont State University awards bachelor's degrees across a tight set of applied fields. Health Professions accounts for 32.3% of degrees awarded, with Business at 29.2% and Engineering Technologies at 27.1%.
The university has 1 program with an Azimuth national rank and 5 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 23 degrees awarded a year.
Nursing is close behind at 21 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #1 in Vermont within its field. The highest-earning program is a smaller one.
Construction Management graduates earn $88,301, from 5 degrees awarded a year. Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians follows at $84,601, with 7 degrees awarded.
Three families account for nearly all degrees, and the second-largest program is also among the best-paid. Earnings are higher in the technical fields, and the highest figures sit in programs that award fewer than ten degrees a year. Across all fields, 11.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM.
Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 23 degrees awarded
$51,438
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 21 degrees awarded
$77,267
Computer Engineering 11 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions 10 degrees awarded
Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.
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.
A shortlist for different decisions
Choose a row to compare the figures with Vermont State University.
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.
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, founder of College Azimuth.
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; notes with a different source link it below.
Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.
Source fields: ADM_RATE
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.
Source fields: RET_FT4
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.
Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.
Source fields: PCTPELL
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
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