Bennington College

What is the cost of studying for a year at Bennington College?

Bennington's published price is high, but the amount an individual student pays can be substantially different after grants and scholarships. For 2024-25, reported full-time undergraduate tuition was the same for in-state and out-of-state students.

• Undergraduate tuition: $65,398 for the academic year.
• Required fees: $864.
• Typical room and board: $19,826 combined.
• Estimated books and supplies: $2,000.

Those 2024-25 components total approximately $88,088 before transportation, personal expenses, and other individually applicable costs. They are a comparison of reported charges and estimates, not a student-specific financial aid offer. Students should use the current year's official cost-of-attendance budget when planning, rather than combining these figures with tuition quoted for a later year.

Reported aid figures show why the sticker price is only a starting point: all students in the measured aid population received some form of financial aid, and about half had student loans. The reported average undergraduate grant award was $52,197, but an average award is not an entitlement. Average net price also varied by family income; for families earning $48,000 or less, the reported figure was $18,012. Net price is an average after grant aid, not the same as a tuition discount offered to every applicant.

Eligible students may receive institutional aid, federal grants, state assistance, or federal loans depending on their circumstances and aid applications. Students using veteran or military education benefits should confirm how those benefits interact with other aid. The most useful comparison is a personalized aid offer that separates grants from loans and shows expected remaining costs.

What are the work-study opportunities at Bennington College?

Bennington's required Field Work Term gives undergraduates a structured opportunity to connect study with work or another approved experience. It is not the same as Federal Work-Study: a Field Work Term placement may be paid or unpaid, while Work-Study is a financial-aid-based student employment program.

Students interested in campus jobs should review available positions and ask the financial aid office whether they qualify for Federal Work-Study. Eligibility for that program does not itself assign a job; students generally must find and apply for positions, and earnings come through wages for hours worked. Other campus employment may have different eligibility rules. Career counseling, job listings, résumé assistance, interview workshops, employer events, and alumni connections can help students pursue opportunities, but none ensures a paid placement.