Education and the life of the mind

Bennington County hosts many authors and professional writers. Many are nationally prominent. We have an exceptionally vital intellectual community stimulated by a tradition of independent thinkers, local colleges, and surroundings conducive to reflection.

Post-secondary institutions in Bennington County include:

• Bennington College. A premier small private liberal arts college with top-notch faculty and resources. Very strong in fine arts and language education. Technologically savvy.
• Community College of Vermont. Affordable, rigorous, relevant college courses. An active learning center in downtown Bennington. Active adjunct faculty drawn from active professionals in the community.
• Southern Vermont College. A private career oriented liberal arts college sited with majestic views on Mt. Anthony. Coursework includes solid offerings in business, environment, health care, and law enforcement.

In addition, accessible nearby colleges and universities include:

• University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. One of the oldest and best state universities in the U.S.. Research and development, engineering, continuing education, and other resources increasingly available through extension and remote education services.
• Vermont Technical College, Randolph, VT. Outstanding multifaceted technical college, strengthened by relationships with corporate partners such as IBM.
• Albany Nano Tech, Albany, NY. Albany NanoTech supports the semiconductor industry in technology development for short- medium- and long- term horizons through partnerships with International SeMaTech (ISMT), the Focus Center Programs and other programs funded by the Semiconductor Industry Association.
• Renseleaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. A world-class technical school with advanced research and development facilities, less than an hour's drive from Bennington. Trains technicians and engineers in the very latest technologies.
• Williams College, Williamstown, MA. A top historic private liberal arts college on the southern doorstep of Bennington County. Faculty and students have incubated some of the most successful cyber communities on the Web.