Sterling College
Tel:
(802)586-7711
- The Sterling College community combines structured academic study with experiential challenges and plain hard work to build responsible problems solvers who become stewards of the environment as they pursue productive lives.
School Highlights
- Sterling College serves 116 students (91% of students are full-time).
- The college's student:teacher ratio of 7:1 is lower than the state community college average of 19:1.
- Minority enrollment is 46% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is more than the state average of 22%.
- Sterling College is the only community colleges within Orleans County, VT.
- The nearest community college to Sterling College is Community College of Vermont (27.4 miles away).
Top Placements
Sterling College places among the top 20% of community colleges in Vermont for:
- Category Attribute
- Diversity Diversity in US community colleges
School Overview
- The teacher population of 16 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
| Sterling College | (VT) Community College Avg. | |
| Carnegie Classification | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges | Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges |
| Institution Level | Less than 2 yrs | Less than 2 yrs |
| Institution Control | Public | Private, non-profit |
| Total Faculty | 16 staff | 81 staff |
| Total Enrollment | 116 students | 482 students |
 | ||
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 7:1 | 19:1 |
| # Full-Time Students | 106 students | 369 students |
| # Part-Time Students | 10 students | 113 students |
 |  | |
| % Asian | - | 2% |
| % Hispanic | - | 2% |
| % Black | - | 2% |
| % White | 54% | 78% |
| % Two or more races | 6% | 1% |
| % Unknown races | 40% | 12% |
 |  | |
| Diversity Score | 0.54 | 0.38 |
 | ||
| Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) | $26,500 | $33,600 |
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- Sterling was founded by Norman Rioux in 1958 as a boys' college preparatory school. It was named after Margaret Sterling, the deceased wife of Douglas Field. Mr. Field was one of several Berkshire School (MA) faculty members who came here with Mr. Rioux. When the alternative preparatory school market waned in the early 1970s, Sterling was well positioned to respond creatively. First came the Academic Short Course in Outdoor Leadership, a 21-day program for 13 to 16 year olds. It brought hundreds of young people to Sterling for an intense winter learning experience. The Short Course solidified women's presence on campus to share equally in the benefits of a Sterling education. An extension of this idea became the year-long Grassroots project, an immediate success that led Sterling into the world of higher education. Sterling's first Associate of Arts Degree in Resource Management was awarded in 1982. Full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges was granted in 1987. Several members of the Grassroots Faculty continue to teach at the College today. Facilities on the hundred-plus acre Sterling College campus include fourteen residential, administrative, and classroom buildings, a woodworking shop, and library. Outdoor teaching facilities include a managed woodlot, a challenge course, a 30-foot climbing tower, organic gardens, and a working livestock farm with two solar/wind powered barns. Much of what is grown and raised is consumed in the dining hall. The Center for Northern Studies at Sterling College includes a 300-acre boreal wetland and a building containing a library, science lab, seminar rooms, offices, and central lounge. Sterling College offers bachelor's degrees in Conservation Ecology, Outdoor Education and Leadership, Northern Studies, Self-Designed Studies and Sustainable Agriculture.
Nearby Schools
- The nearest community college to Sterling College is Community College of Vermont (27.4 miles away).
- College Location Mi. Students
- 5,844 students | 27.40 Mi1 Abenaki Way
Winooski, VT 05404
(802)828-2800 27.405,844 - Woodbury CollegePrivate, non-profit132 students | 27.40 Mi660 Elm St
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802)229-0516 27.40132 - 422 students | 28.80 Mi56 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802)223-6324 28.80422 - Champlain CollegePrivate, non-profit3,585 students | 42.30 Mi246 S. Willard St
Burlington, VT 05401
(802)860-2700 42.303,585 - 1,542 students | 50.50 Mi1 Main Street
Randolph Center, VT 05061
(802)728-1000 50.501,542
Recent Articles
We look at why millions of Americans are choosing community college over a traditional four-year school today.
Many students enroll in community college with the intent of transferring to a four-year school. Of those who do, many succeed, and yet traditional colleges and universities continue to overlook them. Read on to learn more about why more community college students don’t transfer schools and to receive some tips for making the transfer yourself.
Community college is the only option for many students who either can’t afford a traditional four-year university or who need a more flexible school environment. Just because community college is different, however, doesn’t mean that its students matter any less. The Aspen Prize exists to encourage community colleges to do more for their students and to continually strive for improvement.
