General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Vermont

Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Vermont, Ranked (2026)

The 1 general studies bachelor's 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 bachelor's degree ranking.

The Burlington, Vermont waterfront on Lake Champlain
Top Score in Vermont 31.0 Vermont State University
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.

Bachelor's Degrees in Vermont

1

Meet the Ranking Threshold

1

Median Resident Tuition and Fees

$11,400

With a Fully Online Option

1

General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Vermont

General studies bachelor's degrees in Vermont begin and end at Vermont State University in Randolph, which awards the state's only one. It's ranked, at 31 and 140th on the national bachelor's ranking, on 12 graduates in the latest year, a 47% graduation rate and $11,400 in resident tuition and fees, and it runs fully online.

The score is modest and the reasons are visible in the figures: 12 graduates is a small program, and the 47% graduation rate is the university's rate for first-time, full-time students, so about half don't finish on time. What the program has going for it is price and access. It's public, it costs residents $11,400 and nonresidents $21,408, it can be finished from anywhere, and for many Vermont residents it's free.

Vermont State also awards a general studies associate degree, so this is a university where the two-year and four-year degrees in the subject live under one roof, and the natural route in is either that associate degree or one from the Community College of Vermont.

The Best General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Vermont

The best general studies bachelor's degrees in Vermont are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's 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

    Vermont State University

    Vermont

    • Public
    • Fully Online Option
    College graduation rate
    47%
    In-state tuition and fees
    $11,400 a year
    Degrees awarded, latest year
    12
    • College graduation rate percentile 41 / 100
    • In-state tuition and fees percentile 38 / 100
    • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 6 / 100

    About the Program

    Randolph, Vermont is home to Vermont State University, a public university of 5,093 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 12 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 6th percentile for size. Across the whole college, 47% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 41% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $11,400 a year for residents and $21,408 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 38% of programs at this level. Because the full degree is offered online, it is open to students well outside the region. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 82% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 41st percentile.

How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in Vermont?

A general studies bachelor's degree in Vermont costs $11,400 a year in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24 at Vermont State University, the only program at this level in the state, and $21,408 for a nonresident. There's no second program to set it against, so the useful comparison is with what a resident pays after state programs, which for many is nothing.

Freedom & Unity, built on the Vermont State Free Tuition Promise, 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, which describes most adults coming back to finish a four-year degree. Above that income, or for costs beyond tuition, 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. Both come through the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, so ask VSAC which applies to you before you ask the university about payment plans.

How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Vermont?

Credit transfers into Vermont State University's general studies bachelor's degree most cleanly from the Community College of Vermont, because CCV's Vermont Transfer Guarantee names Vermont State's terms: a 2.0 GPA, acceptance of all CCV general education requirements as a block, and a minimum course grade of C-. The Guarantee itself is a partnership agreement between CCV and participating colleges and universities in the state, and its 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. So a CCV associate degree arrives at Vermont State with general education done and two years of standing.

From anywhere else, including Landmark College's general studies associate, Vermont State evaluates your transcript on its own policy, and the questions to ask are how many credits it applies toward the general studies major rather than electives, and whether it will take your general education as a block the way it takes CCV's. If your associate degree is Vermont State's own, you're not transferring at all, and a degree audit will show how every course counts.

What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Vermont?

Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Program in Vermont

How to choose a general studies bachelor's degree program in Vermont is really how to choose a route into Vermont State University, since it's the only program, and the route decides the cost. Start at the Community College of Vermont and 802Opportunity makes tuition free for residents of any age without a bachelor's degree and with family income of $100,000 or less, then the Transfer Guarantee carries your general education into Vermont State as a block. Start at Vermont State's own associate degree and Freedom & Unity covers residents at $85,000 or less from the first day.

Either way, ask Vermont State whether the online general studies bachelor's uses the same courses as the campus sections, how many credits must be taken with the university, and what concentrations the degree lets you build. Ask whether Freedom & Unity continues if you drop to part-time, since VSAC lists both full- and part-time students as eligible. And read the graduation rate plainly: 47% means roughly half of first-time, full-time students don't finish on time, so ask what advising the online program provides past the first year.

If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Vermont have their own page.

Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Vermont

How Much Do Nonresidents Pay for Vermont State's General Studies Bachelor's Degree?

Do You Have to Go to Randolph for Vermont State's General Studies Bachelor's Degree?

Does Vermont State Take CCV General Education as a Block for Its General Studies Bachelor's?

Is Vermont State's General Studies Bachelor's Degree Tuition Free for Vermont Residents?

Where Do the Figures on This Vermont Page Come From?