Colleges in Vermont

Public colleges in Vermont are governed by the Vermont State Colleges organization created by the General Assembly in 1961. There are five Vermont schools in the VSC consortium: Castleton State College, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College, Vermont Technical College and the Community College of Vermont. The VSC headquarters are at the Chancellor's offife in Montpelier.

The Chancellor's office performs financial and policy operations. The office is led by the chancellor and three vice presidents. Each state college is overseen by its own president along with deans. All of these Vermont colleges presidents comprise a Council of Presidents along with the VSC chancellor and vice presidents. The Council, along with the Board of Trustees sets policies and procedures, with the governor serving as an ex officio member.

All of the state higher education schools in Vermont feature small classes with the average student-to-teacher ratio being 16 to one. The state is served by 17 private institutions including three that are church-affiliated.

Vermont has a research university and six master's universities, a law school, art school and culinary arts schools. Some out-of-state institutions also offer classes in Vermont: Southern New Hampshire University, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield College, Massachusetts and the Union Institute and University, Ohio.

All of these Vermont colleges are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges with the exception of the New England Culinary Institute. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

The University of Vermont in Burlington, a public university ranks high in New England. It is the fifth oldest in New England and was the first in the nation to admit women and African Americans into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. It has a beautiful campus on Lake Champlain with a view of the Green Mountains and the Adirondack Mountains.

Economy

In 2010, The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Vermont's gross state product(GSP)as $26 billion. Government ranked as the highest component of the GSP while real estate, rental and leasing made up the second highest component. The state was ranked by Forbess magazine as the 32nd best state for business. In 2010, Vermont had the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the nation at 6.2 percent.

Vermont residents' median household income between 2002 and 2004 was $45,692, placing the state 15th nationally for this statistic. The median wage in 2008 was $31,845 annually.

Agriculture is important to Vermont's economy, contributing roughly 2.6 billion each year. Dairy farming is the primary component of the agricultural income. Although the government has enacted laws to protect land from being over-developed for housing, the number of dairy farms has shown a decline in recent years. The number of cattle has declined, but milk production has doubled because of tripling production per cow. Organic farming has risen in popularity. There were 553 state-wide organic dairy farms and 128 organic vegetable farms in in 2009. The manufacturing and selling of organic foods, fancy foods and novelty items has boosted the state's economy in recent years. Some examples are Cabot Cheese, Fine Paints of Europe, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, Burton Snowboards, Lake Champlain Chocolates and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. Additionally, about 2,000 producers sold maple products in 2010.

The state's largest for-profit employer is IBM in Essex Junction. Employing around 5,000 workers it provides about $1 billion annually to the economy. Tourism also plays a role in Vermont's economy with several excellent ski resorts.

A small state big on education, Vermont is likely to remain economically sound for the future.