General Studies Associate Degrees in Vermont

Best General Studies Associate Degrees in Vermont, Ranked (2026)

The 1 general studies associate degrees in Vermont that meet the ranking threshold, scored on graduation rate, resident tuition and fees, and degrees awarded, the same figures as the national associate degree ranking, plus the 1 other program in the state.

The Burlington, Vermont waterfront on Lake Champlain
Top Score in Vermont 39.0 Landmark College
Burlington waterfront on Lake Champlain. Photo by Tony Webster, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.

Associate Degrees in Vermont

2

Meet the Ranking Threshold

1

Median Resident Tuition and Fees

$37,845

With a Fully Online Option

1

General Studies Associate Degrees in Vermont

General studies associate degrees in Vermont are two programs that have almost nothing in common. Landmark College in Putney is private, campus-based and ranked, at 39 and 325th on the national associate ranking, on 26 graduates in the latest year, a 43% graduation rate and tuition and fees of $64,290. Vermont State University in Randolph is public, fully online and below the threshold with 7 graduates, at $11,400 for residents with a 47% graduation rate.

Landmark's score rests on its size and completion rather than its price, which sits far above Vermont State's $11,400 and is the same for every student. Vermont State's associate degree sits beside the university's own bachelor's in general studies, so a student who starts there can finish the four-year degree at the same university without transferring at all.

The two programs serve different students, and this page reads that way: the cost and aid sections are mostly about Vermont State, because that's where the state's free-tuition programs apply, while Landmark is the one the national ranking scores.

The Best General Studies Associate Degree in Vermont

The best general studies associate degrees in Vermont are ranked below by their national score, from the national associate degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Vermont. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.

  1. 1

    Landmark College

    Vermont

    • Private nonprofit
    College graduation rate
    43%
    In-state tuition and fees
    $64,290 a year
    Degrees awarded, latest year
    26
    • College graduation rate percentile 74 / 100
    • In-state tuition and fees percentile 1 / 100
    • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 23 / 100

    About the Program

    Based in Putney, Vermont, Landmark College is a private nonprofit college with 672 students on its rolls. During the most recent year on record it awarded 26 associate's degrees, a count at the 23rd percentile for size. Across the whole college, 43% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 74% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $64,290 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 49%, which leaves room for a rejection. On the graduation rate of its college it does best, reaching the 74th percentile.

Other General Studies Associate Degrees in Vermont

The other general studies associate degrees in Vermont awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.

Other general studies associate degrees in Vermont, by degrees awarded in the latest year
CollegeDegrees AwardedGraduation RateTuition and Fees
Vermont State University, Randolph 7 47% $11,400

Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.

How Much Does a General Studies Associate Degree Cost in Vermont?

A general studies associate degree in Vermont costs $11,400 a year in resident tuition and required fees at Vermont State University and $64,290 at Landmark College for 2023-24, so the $37,845 median on this page is only the average of the two. Nonresidents pay $21,408 at Vermont State, and Landmark charges every student the same $64,290.

For a Vermont resident, Vermont State's price can be zero. Freedom & Unity makes Vermont State University tuition free for full- and part-time Vermont residents of any age without a bachelor's degree whose family income is $85,000 or less, and the associate degree in general studies is covered along with the bachelor's. The need-based Vermont Grant is open to residents in full-time or part-time undergraduate degree or certificate programs who don't already hold a bachelor's, and 2025-26 awards ranged from $1,000 to $15,350. If you'd start at the Community College of Vermont instead, 802Opportunity, funded by the Vermont Legislature, covers tuition in full for new or returning students of any age without a bachelor's degree and with family income of $100,000 or less, when combined with federal and state grants, plus the $125 CCV administrative fee.

Resident tuition and fees for general studies associate degrees in Vermont, lowest first
College Tuition and fees Graduation rate
Vermont State University $11,400 47%
Landmark College $64,290 43%
Source: IPEDS published tuition and required fees, 2023-24. As of September 29, 2026.

Will a General Studies Associate Degree Transfer in Vermont?

A general studies associate degree transfers in Vermont on terms that depend on where it came from, because the state's one written guarantee belongs to the Community College of Vermont, not to the two colleges on this page. The Vermont Transfer Guarantee is, in CCV's words, a partnership agreement between CCV and participating colleges and universities in the state. It takes a CCV associate degree and a GPA of 2.0, 2.5 or 3.0, depending on the receiving college, and its listed features are no application fee, guaranteed admission, guaranteed transfer of credits and junior status on enrollment, subject to each college's criteria and space in the major.

Vermont State University is one of those participating colleges. CCV lists it as requiring a 2.0 GPA under the Guarantee and accepting all CCV general education requirements as a block, with a minimum course grade of C-. So a CCV associate degree moves into Vermont State's general studies bachelor's with general education settled and junior standing.

If your associate degree is Vermont State's own, you stay inside one university and the transfer question becomes how its associate courses count toward its bachelor's, which the university can show you in a degree audit. If it's Landmark's, the Guarantee doesn't cover you: ask Landmark which four-year colleges it holds agreements with and get their accepted-course lists in writing before your second year.

What Do Jobs With a General Studies Associate Degree Pay in Vermont?

Jobs open to a general studies associate degree in Vermont pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.

Median annual pay in Vermont for jobs open to a general studies degree
Job Vermont median U.S. median
Management Analyst $107,520 $101,860
Administrative Services Manager $97,040 $114,130
Social and Community Service Manager $80,760 $80,390
Human Resources Specialist $77,800 $75,940
Training and Development Specialist $77,800 $69,280
Market Research Analyst $74,880 $78,760
Meeting and Event Planner $74,310 $61,160
Fundraiser $72,530 $72,550
Paralegal $67,160 $62,890
Public Relations Specialist $66,060 $74,750
Social and Human Service Assistant $46,640 $45,930
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates.

How to Choose a General Studies Associate Degree Program in Vermont

To choose a general studies associate degree program in Vermont, decide whether Landmark College's residential program is worth $64,290 a year when Vermont State University charges residents $11,400, because that question settles it for most residents before completion is weighed, and for a Vermont resident with family income of $85,000 or less and no bachelor's degree, Vermont State is tuition free under Freedom & Unity. Vermont State's associate degree also runs fully online and graduates 47% of students, against Landmark's 43% on campus in Putney.

Landmark's case is the one you'd have to make for yourself: it's the program the national ranking scores, with 26 graduates to Vermont State's 7, and a residential campus. Ask Landmark what its $64,290 covers and which four-year colleges have taken its graduates in transfer. Ask Vermont State how its associate degree feeds its own bachelor's in general studies and whether the online sections are the same courses as the campus ones. And if you hold CCV credits, bring them, since Vermont State accepts CCV's general education as a block.

If you plan to finish a bachelor's in the state, the general studies bachelor's degrees in Vermont have their own page.

Common Questions About General Studies Associate Degrees in Vermont

What Is the Price Gap Between Vermont's Two General Studies Associate Degrees?

Can You Study a General Studies Associate Degree Online in Vermont?

Does the Vermont Transfer Guarantee Cover a General Studies Associate Degree From Landmark or Vermont State?

Does Freedom & Unity Make Vermont State's General Studies Associate Degree Tuition Free?

Where Do the Figures on This Vermont Page Come From?