Champlain College (CC)

Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a small, private college overlooking Lake Champlain in charming Burlington, Vermont. Its innovative, career-focused approach to education is nationally recognized for shaping graduates who are ready for work, ready for life, and ready to make a difference.

Champlain students take classes in their major on day one through the Upside-Down Curriculum, allowing them to graduate with more professional experiences—such as internships, jobs, and fieldwork opportunities—and a deeper understanding of their industries. The results: 90% of the Class of 2023 was employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation.

Champlain's small size and professional opportunities attract relentlessly inquisitive and open-minded individuals who are engaged in their community and fiercely dedicated to building the world they want to live in.

At Champlain, our students are creative, innovative thinkers who learn by doing. They're here because they have ideas—big ones—about technology, design, storytelling, and solving problems that actually matter. They're passionate. Ambitious. Ready to do real work, not just talk about it someday.

Our campus culture reflects that energy. With 50+ student-run clubs—from e-sports tournaments and film production collectives to hiking expeditions and social justice initiatives—you'll find your people here. (The deeply discounted season passes to Sugarbush ski resort don't hurt, either.) It's not uncommon for our students to feel seen, welcomed, and at home from the moment they step foot on campus. Maybe it's something in the waters of Lake Champlain that makes our community so kind, quirky, and caring, but we like to think our students are genuinely just themselves here.

Champlain's student population is summed up by one as "Champlain attracts a certain type: open, artistic, thoughtful, and intelligent," while another student is a little more blunt: "We are all nerdy in our own special way." It's a self-selective, "open-minded" population that's passionately adored by those who know what to expect: students "fit in well if they have researched the college before coming, as it is a small community within a larger community." There is "literally a bit of everything. Nerds, partiers, skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, and hippies." Another summarizes the Champlain student body as "everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive. I love that it's large enough not to know everyone but small enough that it still feels like family." As a whole, Champlain students are "motivated and engaged." They enjoy the social opportunities afforded by Burlington and Champlain, but "are also serious about doing big things and going far in life."

The small liberal arts college in cozy Burlington, Vermont, has a heavy academic focus on the video game industry, and skiing and gaming figure prominently into Champlain's social life. "There is a lot to do in town, and on campus there are often events put on by clubs or the SGA [Student Government Association]. Every Thursday, a bus also takes students from campus to free bowling or to see a free movie at the movie theater." Students love Burlington"full of endless opportunities for both outside and indoor activities"-and enjoy the shops and nightlife of Church Street. Both Champlain and Burlington "heavily promote sustainable living," and as such, students learn "an incredible amount about how to help and be aware of my community and ecosystem." For the dedicated skier/student, Champlain IDs will nab you discounted ski passes in the area, and "snow dictates class attendance in the spring." Overall, the outdoorsy will find plenty to love about Champlain and the mantra seems to be, "Anything to be outside." Indoors, the "laid-back" social atmosphere tends toward "play[ing] video games rather often," and "there is an excellent music scene here in Burlington."