Champlain College, in Burlington, Vermont, is a different type of college—one with an eye focused on its students’ future careers. Over 90% of recent grads found employment directly upon graduation, and of those, close to 85% found it in their chosen field of study.
That is why Champlain is probably not the best choice for the student who wants to major in English or Philosophy, but would be a great school to consider for one who is interested in public relations, game design or social work. The small classes and involved professors help students to find a niche for themselves. Internships—and even networking—are part of the curriculum.
Next to its much bigger neighbor, University of Vermont, Champlain is quite small and compact, situated on a few blocks of residential, tree-lined streets. Its dorms are comprised of large Victorian mansions, interspersed with contemporary classroom and administrative buildings. Since the time of my prior visits here, the campus has had an influx of money, and many of the structures and facilities are either new or remodeled, and all quite attractive.
If you have a specific career objective in mind in fields such as business, communications, IT or education—and are ready to hit the ground running straight after high school—this is a unique college worth checking out.