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Northfield Falls Covered BridgeNorthfield Falls Covered Bridge · Photo: Steven Bergeron Srbergeron · CC BY 3.0
Colleges in and near Northfield

Northfield is a college town: 15 of every 100 residents are students

Norwich University (2,047 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Vermont, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town15% of residents are studentsNorwich University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Northfield. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
8,511 students on campus
Nearest college
1.6 mi
Norwich University
Residents in college
15%
Above VT (7%)
Nearest community college
10.9 mi
Community College of Vermont · $6,920 tuition
Nearest public university
15 mi
Vermont State · $11,952 in-state
Students on campus in Northfield
2,047
next to 5,873 residents

What stands out about college in Northfield

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town15 of every 100 Northfield residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Vermont.A university in NorthfieldNorwich University has 2,047 students on campus in Northfield, 60% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 10.9 miles awayCommunity College of Vermont in Montpelier: tuition and fees $6,920 a year for Vermont residents.In-state price at Vermont StateLiving in Vermont, Vermont State University charges $11,952 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,296. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Northfield

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

15 of every 100 Northfield residents are in college (VT: 7).

2,047students on campus at Norwich University, next to 5,873 residents (dorm students count as residents)
189college students live in Northfield households rather than dorms
36.4median age · VT 43.1
26%of homes rented · VT 27%
$1,018median rent · 18% below the state
NorthfieldNorthfield, VT
Cost of living$1,018/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIAHealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Northfield’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 12.7% of Northfield residents are below the poverty line, 11.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 38% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 15%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Northfield’s median age is 36.4 (Vermont 43.1), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Northfield

Two private colleges within 9.6 miles, one public college within 15 miles, and Community College of Vermont 10.9 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miVermont StateNorwich UniversityCommunity College of VermontNorthfield
University or collegeCommunity college
Norwich UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,047 on campus · In Northfield74%admitted$22knet price60%graduate$66kearningsVermont College of Fine ArtsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 223 on campus · 9.6 mi · MontpelierGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Community College of VermontCommunity college · Public · 1,873 on campus · 10.9 mi · Montpelier · mostly online$14knet price20%graduate$36kearnings65% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Tuition and fees: $6,920 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Vermont State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 4,368 on campus · 15 mi · Randolph82%admitted$18knet price47%graduate$50kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Northfield’s median household income ($71,768) falls.

Community College of Vermont10.9 mi · Montpelier · mostly online · sticker $21,123 · tuition $6,920$14,430a year
Vermont State University15 mi · Randolph · sticker $25,988$16,279a year
Norwich UniversityIn Northfield · sticker $67,357$17,332a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Northfield: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Norwich UniversityCommunity College of VermontVermont State
Vermont State University47% graduate$50k earnings$15k typical debt
Norwich University60% graduate$66k earnings$25k typical debt
Community College of Vermont20% graduate$36k earnings$10k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Northfield

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Norwich University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Military 13%Business 13%Computer science 12%Public safety 12%Health professions 9%Social sciences 9%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Criminal Justice and Corrections117 graduates a year
$70k4 yrs out
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations111 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management54 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations47 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing41 graduates a year
$86k4 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies39 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering31 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Psychology, General27 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Northfield

Is Northfield a college town?

Yes. 15 of every 100 Northfield residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Vermont. Norwich University has 2,047 students on campus, next to 5,873 residents.

What colleges are in Northfield?

Norwich University is inside the town. Community College of Vermont is 10.9 miles away in Montpelier.

Why is Northfield’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 12.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 11.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Northfield, and what does it cost?

Community College of Vermont in Montpelier, 10.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,920 a year for Vermont residents; the federal net price, $13,696, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Norwich University?

Norwich University admitted 74% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,060–1,320 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Northfield. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →