Private nonprofit · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Bennington College

Bennington, VT · 5 reportable field-and-credential outcomes

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$406,068 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

Modeled economic break-even
−134%Modeled 10-year ROI
$34,772Observed earnings · year 5
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$406,068at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$303,7880
2
4
6
8
−$406,06810
Years after graduationBreak-even: years
FEDERAL COST DATA

Four ways to read college price.

Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.

Published in-state tuition$66,262
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$66,262
Sticker price
Average net price$30,947
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$87,284
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
OBSERVED FEDERAL MEASURES

Cost, completion and earnings context

$30,947Average net price / year
$87,284Cost of attendance
$34,772Median earnings · year 5 after completion
71.2%Completion rate
44.5%Admission rate
780Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

28thEarnings percentile
69thCompletion percentile
WHAT STANDS OUT

A faster read on this college

These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.

$26,241Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$27,000Median federal debt across categories that report debt
0%Of earnings-reporting categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS PATH

Reported earnings over time

$21,186Year 1
$38,899Year 4
$34,772Year 5

Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.

PROGRAM PAYOFF SPREAD

The college average is not the whole story.

Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.

1English Language and Literature/Letters, Other · Master's Degree$50,6712Visual and Performing Arts, General · Bachelor's Degree$39,9583Music · Bachelor's Degree$26,2414Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft · Bachelor's Degree$23,575

Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding

BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in VT

Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.

Craftsbury Common, VT

Sterling College

Annual net price
$21,854
Observed earnings · year 5
$29,482
Modeled 10-year ROI
-158%
Open college profile →
Colchester, VT

Saint Michael's College

Annual net price
$25,239
Observed earnings · year 5
$56,162
Modeled 10-year ROI
-60%
Open college profile →
Putney, VT

Landmark College

Annual net price
$56,954
Observed earnings · year 5
$31,720
Modeled 10-year ROI
-133%
Open college profile →
Burlington, VT

Champlain College

Annual net price
$35,860
Observed earnings · year 5
$59,133
Modeled 10-year ROI
-56%
Open college profile →
ALL REPORTABLE PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes

Federal fieldCredentialEarnings, year 4Federal debt
English Language and Literature/Letters, OtherMaster's Degree$50,671Not available
Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's Degree$39,958$27,000
MusicBachelor's Degree$26,241Not available
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's Degree$23,575$26,445
LiteratureBachelor's DegreeNot available$27,000

Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.