Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont · Private · 780 undergraduates · bennington.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
37%
of 2,709 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1335 to 1475
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$102,800Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Bennington College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
37% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$102,800
a year in 2027-28, from a $102,800 sticker price
What to do with your 1410
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1410).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
Source: Application Requirements | Bennington College · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan10Regular Decision · January 10, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
37%
of applicants were admitted: 1,008 of 2,709 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 1/31.
Early Decision
Binding. 17% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
123 students were offered a spot; 43 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 14% of them sent SAT scores and 3.7% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1335 to 1475
Reading and Writing 680 to 750
Math 620 to 730
ACT composite 33 to 34
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160052%
- 1200 to 139939%
- 1000 to 11998.7%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.67
- 4.07%
- 3.75 to 3.9937%
- 3.50 to 3.7437%
- 3.25 to 3.4914%
- 3.00 to 3.243.5%
- 2.50 to 2.991.8%
- Below 2.500%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$102,800
a year
- Tuition$74,570
- Fees$1,770
- Food and housing$20,900
- Books and supplies$2,080
- Transportation and other$3,480
Bennington College published $98,850 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$22,350
- $30,001 to $48,000$24,783
- $48,001 to $75,000$24,125
- $75,001 to $110,000$30,079
- Over $110,000$43,575
Financial aid
93%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$67,530
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
22%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $44,652 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 11/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 1/10
- The last day to send aid forms.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
31 of 31
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,460Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 4 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 4 |
| Art History | 4 | 4 |
| Biology | 4 | 4 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 4 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 4 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 4 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 4 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 4 |
| Drawing | 4 | 4 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 4 |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 4 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 4 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| Human Geography | 4 | 4 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 4 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 4 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 4 |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 |
| Pre-Calculus | 4 | 4 |
| Psychology | 4 | 4 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 4 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 4 |
| United States History | 4 | 4 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
70%
Come back for a second year
82%
Typical earnings
$46,253
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Bennington College$47,569
- All colleges$45,333
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 2 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Bennington College.