Purchase College vs. Bennington

Should I go to SUNY at Purchase College or Bennington College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Purchase College or Bennington is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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SUNY at Purchase College vs. Bennington College comparison
SUNY at Purchase College Bennington College College 3 College 4
SUNY at Purchase College Bennington College
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Overview

 Purchase College Bennington
Location Purchase, NY Bennington, VT
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,229 867
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #297
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu bennington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Purchase College Bennington
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $63,802
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $63,802
Room & Board $15,400 $18,640
Avg Net Price $18,651 $35,108
Avg Grant Aid $9,627 $47,860
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 98%

Admission

 Purchase College Bennington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,221 2,825
Admitted 5,259 1,357
Acceptance Rate 72.8% 48%
Enrolled % 14.8% 15.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.51
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 30/32
SAT Range 1178/1363 1290/1413
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Purchase College Bennington
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (39%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

 Purchase College Bennington
Graduation Rate 56% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $31,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $232 $268

Diversity

 Purchase College Bennington
% Men 1% 2%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 55% 65%
% Black 10% 2%
% Hispanic 18% 6%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 2% 13%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

 Purchase College Bennington
% In-State 78% 2%
% Out-of-State 21% 87%

Campus

 Purchase College Bennington
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY at Purchase College is larger than than Bennington based on total student enrollment (3,229 students vs. 867 students)

Purchase College vs. Bennington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Purchase College or Bennington?

  • Bennington College is 802.4% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($63,802.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 275.7% higher at Bennington than SUNY at Purchase College ($63,802.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY at Purchase College than Bennington ($18,651 vs. $35,108)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY at Purchase College are 21% lower than costs at Bennington College ($15,400 vs. $18,640)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bennington College than SUNY at Purchase College (98% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bennington College students is 397.1% larger than aid received SUNY at Purchase College ($47,860 vs. $9,627)

Purchase College vs. Bennington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Purchase College or Bennington? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Bennington or Purchase College .

  • Accepted freshman Bennington students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.51) than students at Purchase College (3.37)
  • Purchase College has a higher acceptance rate (72.8%) than Bennington (48%)

Purchase College vs. Bennington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College or Bennington? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Bennington and Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Bennington is higher than SUNY at Purchase College (67% vs. 56%)
  • Graduates from SUNY at Purchase College earn on average $8,500 more per year than Bennington graduates after ten years. ($40,200 vs. $31,700)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Bennington graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,000)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than Bennington graduates. ($232 vs. $268)
  • More Bennington graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/