Bennington College Celebrates Top Marks from The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, and College Raptor
Classroom experience, public action, college theater, environmentalism, and LGBTQ friendliness set Bennington apart.
College ranking companies—including The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, and others—have published their annual lists, and Bennington College is once again on top.
“We are proud of how Bennington stands out, even among much larger institutions,” said Laura R. Walker, President. “This year’s rankings are a great reflection of who we are and what we care about, including the classroom experience, which differentiates us from so many other schools.”
The Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” ranks colleges based on student surveys. Bennington earned top-ten rankings for Best Classroom Experience (#9), Best College Theater (#5), Most Politically Active Students (#5), Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges (#5), and Top 50 Green Colleges (#4).
Bennington’s classroom experience ranking is reflected in written comments to the publication’s surveys. Bennington students praised their interactions with faculty members, with whom they wrote they are on “a first-name basis.” Students said that faculty “often bring their colleagues in to discuss and connect with students” and that the one-on-one guidance each student receives is “a game changer in terms of getting experience in your field.”
Bennington appeared on three of U.S. News & World Report’s national lists, including best Most Innovative Schools, and Top Performers on Social Mobility. The publication relies on data provided by colleges and universities.
In addition, Bennington College was selected as a “2025 Hidden Gem” in both the United States and New England by College Raptor. The online college planning platform’s national list highlights just one school in each state. The methodology factors in retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity, and other metrics as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently available enrollment year.
“For students seeking the enriching experience of a smaller college with exceptional programs, institutions like Bennington emerge as prime options,” said William Staib, co-founder and CEO, College Raptor. “We are honored to spotlight them with the recognition they genuinely deserve.”
Last year, Bennington ranked #19 among liberal arts colleges and #43 among colleges in general for economic diversity, according to The New York Times College-Access Index.
“Bennington offers an incredible value to a diverse community of students from every socioeconomic circumstance,” said Walker. “Unparalleled access to faculty practitioners and real-life experience through Field Work Term, a relevant internship to every student every year, set Bennington graduates up for a lifetime of personal and professional fulfillment.”