Bennington College vs Connecticut College

Bennington College and Connecticut College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Bennington, known for its progressive approach, boasts a 67% acceptance rate, while Connecticut College maintains a more selective admissions process with a 44% acceptance rate. Bennington's student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate enrollment of 680 compared to Connecticut College's 1,860. Both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, with popular choices at Bennington including visual and performing arts, literature, and social sciences, while Connecticut College excels in liberal arts and sciences, economics, and government. Discover more key differences, including graduation rates and student demographics, in the comprehensive comparison table below to help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Bennington College logo

Bennington College

Connecticut College logo

Connecticut College

Overview

Location Bennington, Vermont New London, Connecticut
Campus setting Town: Distant City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 86.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 66.9% 41.0%
Application fees $85
SAT range N/A 1333 - 1476
ACT range N/A 30 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 12.0%
Students submitting ACT score 10.0%
Total number of applicants 1,726 7,682
Total number of admissions given out 1,155 3,146
Admitted students who chose to enroll 249 492
Yield rate 21.6% 15.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,648 $80,575
Average net price $35,569 $44,820
Tuition $58,848 $60,420
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,350

Meal plan: $7,860
Room/dormitory: $9,690

Meal plan: $7,090
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $43,739
99.0%
Average amount $32,882
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,083
36.0%
Average amount $4,933
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $33,561
8.0%
Average amount $21,449

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 771
Men 35.5% Women 64.5%
1,829
Men 40.7% Women 59.3%
Graduate students 113
Men 20.4% Women 79.6%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 85.0%
International students 15.5% 8.9%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Small
Dormitory capacity 769 1,784
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Mississippi New York Connecticut New Jersey California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • English Language and Literature
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 67.8% 81.0%
Dropout rate 7.5% 18.8%
Transferred out 24.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,354
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $33,127
Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $14,867
  • Year 2: $17,950
  • Year 3: $15,066
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,964
  • Year 3: N/A
Literature (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,202
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $15,302
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Music (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $21,599
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,308
  • Year 2: $54,522
  • Year 3: $66,698
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,434
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: $54,040
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $46,272
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,919
  • Year 2: $32,284
  • Year 3: $41,034
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,642
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $39,884
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,171
  • Year 2: $36,312
  • Year 3: $37,344
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,808
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,970
  • Year 2: $28,881
  • Year 3: N/A
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,342
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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