Middlebury College

Middlebury Collegeis aprivateliberal arts collegeinMiddlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 byCongregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont.
In the fall of 2020, the college enrolled 2,773 undergraduates from all 50 states and 74 countries and offers 45 majors in theartsandhumanitiesas well as joint engineering programs.In addition to its undergraduate liberal arts program, the school also has graduate schools, theMiddlebury College Language Schools, the Bread Loaf School of English, and theMiddlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, as well as itsC.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroadinternational programs. Middlebury's 31 varsity teams are theMiddlebury Panthersand compete in theNCAA Division III'sNESCAC.
Middlebury received its founding charter on November 1, 1800, as an outgrowth of theAddison County Grammar School, which had been founded three years earlier in 1797. The college's first president—Jeremiah Atwater—began classes a few days later, making Middlebury the first operating college or university in Vermont.One student named Aaron Petty graduated at the first commencement held in August 1802.The college's founding religious affiliation was looselyCongregationalist. Yet the idea for a college was that of town fathers rather than clergymen, and Middlebury was clearly "the Town's College" rather than the Church's. Chief among its founders wereSeth StorrsandGamaliel Painter, the former credited with the idea for a collegeand the latter as its greatest early benefactor. In addition to receiving a diploma upon graduation, Middlebury graduates also receive a replica of Gamaliel Painter's cane. Painter bequeathed his original cane to the college and it is carried by the college President at official occasions including first-year convocation and graduation.Alexander Twilight, class of 1823, was the first black graduate of any college or university in the United States; he also became the first African American elected to public office, joining theVermont House of Representativesin 1836. At its second commencement in 1804, Middlebury grantedLemuel Haynesanhonorary master's degree, the firstadvanced degreeever bestowed upon an African American.
In 1883, the trustees voted to accept women as students in the college, making Middlebury one of the first formerly all-male liberal arts colleges in New England to become a coeducational institution. The first female graduate—May Belle Chellis—received her degree in 1886.As valedictorian of the class of 1899,Mary Annette Andersonbecame the first African-American woman elected toPhi Beta Kappa.
The college's centennial in 1900 began a century of physical expansion beyond the three buildings ofOld Stone Row.York and Sawyerdesigned the Egbert Starr Library (1900), aBeaux-Artsedifice later expanded and renamed the Axinn Center, and Warner Hall (1901). Growth in enrollment and the endowment led to continued expansion westward. McCullough Hall (1912) and Voter Hall (1913) featured gymnasium and laboratories, respectively, adopting Georgian Revival styling while confirming the campus standard of grey Vermont limestone, granite, and marble.
In 1914 and subsequent decades, Middlebury College offered courses ineugenicsin fields such as pedagogy, biology, and sociology.The college had "extensive involvement in the eugenics movement."The year-long, mandatory "Orientating Course for Freshmen" in 1925 included the subject "Eugenics" and explained that in the previous year this had been taught in this class as "What Has Civilization to Expect from Eugenics."The 1930Fourth Annual Report of theEugenics Survey of Vermontnoted that Middlebury College PresidentPaul Moodywas Chairman of the Committee that supervised theSurvey.Middlebury biology supervisor, professor A.E. Lambert lectured outside the college on the "Science of Modern Welfare," based on "heredity and eugenics."Middlebury biology professor Owen Wesley Mills was a member of the Second International Congress of Eugenics.
The national fraternityKappa Delta Rhowas founded in Painter Hall on May 17, 1905. Middlebury College abolished fraternities in the early 1990s, but the organization continued on campus in the less ritualized form of a social house. Due to a policy at the school against single-sex organizations, the house was forced to coeducate during the same period as well.The German Language School, founded in 1915 under the supervision of then-PresidentJohn Martin Thomas, began the tradition of theMiddlebury College Language Schools. These Schools, which take place on campus during the summer, enroll about 1,350 students in the Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish Language Schools.
Middlebury PresidentPaul Dwight Moodybegan the American tradition of aNational Christmas Treein 1923 when the college donated a 48-footbalsam firfor use at the White House.The tree was illuminated when Vermont native Calvin Coolidge flipped an electric switch in the first year of his presidency. TheBread Loaf School of English, Middlebury's graduate school of English, was established at the college'sBread Loaf Mountaincampus in 1920.TheBread Loaf Writers' Conferencewas established in 1926. In 1978, theBread Loaf School of Englishexpanded to include a campus atLincoln College, Oxford University. In 1991, the School expanded to include a campus atSt. John's Collegein New Mexico, and to theUniversity of North Carolina, Asheville, in 2006.TheC.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroadbegan in 1949 with the school inParis; they now host students at 38 sites inArgentina,Brazil,China,Cameroon,Chile,France,Germany,India,Italy,Japan,Jordan,Morocco,Russia,Spain,Uruguay,United Kingdom, andPuerto Rico.The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CMRS) was founded as an educational charity in 1975 by Drs John and Sandy Feneley inOxford, England, establishing a facility at St. Michael's Hall in 1978, including the Feneley Library, and close links withKeble College, Oxford; in 2014, CMRS became part of Middlebury College Schools Abroad as Middlebury-CMRS, offering U.S. undergraduates an Oxford Humanities Research Program and Middlebury Museum Studies in Oxford.In 1965, Middlebury established itsEnvironmental Studiesprogram, creating the first undergraduate Environmental Studies program in the U.S.Nationally affiliated fraternities were abolished in 1990; some chose to become co-educational social houses which continue today.
In May 2004, an anonymous benefactor made a $50 million donation to Middlebury.It is the largest cash gift the school has ever received.The donor asked only that Middlebury name its recently built science building, Bicentennial Hall, after outgoing PresidentJohn McCardell Jr.As of July 2014, Middlebury's endowment stood at approximately $1 billion.
In 2005, Middlebury signed an affiliation agreement with theMonterey Institute of International Studies, agraduate schoolinMonterey, California. On June 30, 2010, the Monterey Institute was officially designated as a graduate school of Middlebury College.
In the summer of 2008, Middlebury and theMonterey Institute of International Studieslaunched a collaborative program to offer summer language immersion programs inArabic,Chinese,French,German,Italian, andSpanishto middle and high school students through the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA). In January 2014, as part of a new brand identity system, Middlebury announced that the Monterey Institute of International Studies would be renamed the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.
On March 2, 2017, political scientistCharles Murraywas shouted down by studentsat a campus event, and prevented from speaking at the McCullough Student Center. Murray had been named a white nationalist by theSouthern Poverty Law Center,and has been criticized for a teenaged incident in 1960 where he burned a cross on a hill in his hometown of Newton, Iowa, an act which Murray himself later characterized as "incredibly dumb".After the protest, Murray's talk was moved to Wilson Hall and published online; however, after the talk there was a violent attack by protesters who attempted to obstruct and damage the vehicle of Bill Burger (the Vice President of communications at Middlebury College), Murray, and Middlebury professorAllison Stanger; Stanger was injured in the attack, requiring her hospitalization with a neck injury and concussion.Middlebury PresidentLaurie L. Pattonresponded after the event, saying the school would respond to the clear violations of college policy by students that occurred.Some students (and faculty) felt that by refusing to allow Murray to speak, and by injuring Stanger, the Middlebury College student community "trod all over the ideas of free speech this country was founded upon".The school took disciplinary action against 74 students for their involvement in the incident.
In the spring of 2017, the college also faced allegations of racial profiling, after a student was faced with disciplinary action despite evidence that they had not been present at the protest.Middlebury released a statement asserting that such allegations had been investigated that the college had determined that no such racial profiling had taken place. The statement also noted that an investigation had refuted the anonymous allegations against Burger.
Founded in 1800, the college enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduates from all 50 states and 70 countries. The college offers 40 undergraduate departments and programs. Middlebury was the first institution of higher education in the United States to offer anenvironmental studiesmajor, establishing the major in 1965.Middlebury College isaccreditedby theNew England Commission of Higher Education.
The most popular undergraduate majors at Middlebury by number of 2021 graduates were:
The academic year follows a 4–1–4 schedule of two four-course semesters in the autumn and spring plus what is known as a "Winter Term" session in January. The Winter Term, often called "J-Term" for January Term, allows students to enroll in one intensive course, pursue independent research, or complete an off-campus internship. Winter Term courses are taught by a mix of traditional faculty and special instructors.
The Middlebury College Language Schools, which began with the establishment of the School of German in 1915, offer intensive instruction in 10 languages during six-, seven-, or eight-week summer sessions. The schools enroll about 1,350 students every summer. The Schools all use animmersion-based approach to language instruction and acquisition. All students in the Language Schools must sign and abide by Middlebury's "Language Pledge," a pledge to use their target language exclusively during the duration of their time at the school.
Undergraduate instruction, available to undergraduate students, government employees and individuals from professional backgrounds, is offered inAbenaki,Arabic,Chinese,French,German,Hebrew,Italian,Japanese,Portuguese,Russian,Korean, andSpanish.
TheMiddlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, inMonterey, Californiabecame an affiliate of Middlebury following the signing of an affiliation agreement between the two in December 2005. The Institute currently enrolls 790 graduate students in the fields ofinternational relations,international business,language teaching, andtranslationandinterpretation.
TheMiddlebury College Language Schoolsoffers a Doctor of Modern Languages. Unique to Middlebury, the D.M.L. prepares teacher-scholars in two modern foreign languages, helping them develop as teachers ofsecond-language acquisition, literature, linguistics, and language pedagogy.Middlebury also offers summer language immersion programs inArabic,Chinese,French,German, andSpanishto middle and high school students through the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy.
The Bread Loaf School of English is based at the college'sBread Loaf Mountaincampus in Ripton, just outside Middlebury, in sight of the main ridge of theGreen Mountains. The poetRobert Frostis credited as a major influence on the school. Frost "first came to the School on the invitation of Dean Wilfred Davison in 1921. Friend and neighbor to Bread Loaf, (he) returned to the School every summer with but three exceptions for 42 years."Every summer since 1920, Bread Loaf has offered students from around the United States and the world intensive courses in literature, creative writing, the teaching of writing, and theater. Many prominent faculty and staff have been associated with the college.
TheC.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad, operated by Middlebury College in 17 countries across 5 continents, offer overseas academic programs for undergraduates from various U.S. institutions, as well as graduate-level programs for students fromMiddlebury College's Language Schoolsand theMonterey Institute of International Studies.
The Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs,was founded byFelix Rohatyn'49, investment banker, formerU.S. Ambassador to France, and founder of Rohatyn Associates. Located at the Robert A. Jones '59 House, the center combines Middlebury's strengths in political, linguistic, and cultural studies to offer internationally focused symposia, lectures, and presentations.
The Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicityengages in interdisciplinary and comparative approaches for understanding formations of race and ethnicity and their effects on human relations.The Center for Social Entrepreneurshipencourages students to develop innovative solutions to address society's most pressing social problems.Programs on Creativity and Innovation (PCI)is a series of initiatives designed to encourage Middlebury students to explore ideas in nonacademic settings.
In addition to the six-week summer program, Middlebury College's Bread Loaf campus is also the site of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference for established authors, founded in1926. It was called byThe New Yorker"the oldest and most prestigiouswriters' conferencein the country."The conference is administered by directorMichael Collierand assistant directorJennifer Grotz.Manyprominent members of societyhave been associated with the Writers' Conference.
In 2025,U.S. News & World Reportranked Middlebury as tied for 19th out of 211 liberal arts college overall in the U.S. Middlebury tied for 17th in "Best Undergraduate Teaching", and 30th for "Best Value" among liberal arts colleges for 2025."
Washington Monthlyranked the school 19th out of 199 in its 2023 liberal arts college rankings.
The 2022Parchmentstudent choice college ranking, which tracks student college acceptances of students accepted to multiple schools in order to reveal preference for their chosen school compared to other schools, ranks Middlebury as 47th of 1055 colleges.
TheCarnegie Foundationclassifies Middlebury as a "more selective" institution.For the class of 2026, the college offered admission to 1,955 students out of an applicant pool of 13,028, yielding an overall acceptance of 15%.
Middlebury enrolls around 600 students to begin in the fall semester and an additional 100 to begin in the spring. Those accepted for the fall admissions program begin the academic year in September and are referred to as "Regs." Those accepted for the spring admissions program begin the academic year in February and are referred to as "Febs." Students accepted to the Feb program use the fall semester, called a "Febmester," to travel, volunteer, enroll at other universities, or work.Febs graduate in the annual mid-year commencement at theMiddlebury College Snow Bowl.
Tuition, room, and board at Middlebury is $79,800 for the 2022–23 academic year.For the class entering in 2022–23, the average financial aid grant award is $57,078.The college isneed-blindfor incoming domestic students.
The 350-acre  (1.4 km) main campus is located in theChamplain ValleybetweenVermont'sGreen Mountainsto the east andNew York'sAdirondack Mountainsto the west. The campus is situated on a hill to the west of the village ofMiddlebury, a traditionalNew Englandvillage centered onOtter CreekFalls.
In the fall of 1994 the President and Board of Trustees of Middlebury College adopted a "One Percent for Art" policy. This decision set aside one percent of the cost of any renovation or new construction at the college for the purchase, installation, maintenance, and interpretation of works of art publicly displayed on campus. There are 19 works in Middlebury's campus public art collection, includingFrisbee,George Rickey'sTwo Open Rectangles, Excentric, Variation VI,Tony Smith'sSmog, and a version ofRobert Indiana'sLoveseries. The collection also includes works byDan Graham,Scott Burton,Jules Olitski,Joseph Beuys,Matt Mullican,Jenny Holzer,Christian Petersen,Buky Schwartz,George Rickey,Clement Meadmore, andJonathan Borofsky.
The museum opened in theMahaney Arts Center(named after alumniKevin P. Mahaney, '84) in 1992, designed byHardy Holzman Pfeiffer's architectural firm. It was accredited by theAmerican Association of Museumsin 2005.
Middlebury has incorporated environmental stewardship into its mission statement.The college is a signatory to the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment and theTalloires Declaration. Additionally, the college has committed to be carbon neutral by 2016.Middlebury was one of six universities to receive a grade of "A−" from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card 2008, the highest grade awarded.
In 2009, Middlebury opened a state-of-the-artbiomassplant on campus that is estimated to cut the college's carbon dioxide output by 40 percent and reduce its use of fuel oil by 50 percent.
In 2010, theRockefeller Brothers Fundand Middlebury announced the creation of the Sustainable Investments Initiative, a co-mingled fiscal vehicle seeking investments that generate long-term social, environmental, and economic value. The Initiative will seek investments focused on sustainability issues such as clean energy, water, climate science, and green building projects, in an effort to identify businesses positioned to become a part of the worldwide shift to improve energy efficiency, decrease dependence onfossil fuels, and mitigate climate change.
Also in 2010, Middlebury College and Integrated Energy Solutions, a Vermont developer of farm-based methane energy, agreed to explore a bio-methane gas collection and delivery system that could help Middlebury further reduce its use of fossil fuels. Middlebury has agreed to purchase bio-methane gas from IES over a 10-year period, with the agreement contingent on the college raising money to build storage facilities for the gas on campus and retrofit its current heating plant to burn the new fuel.
In 2013,Princeton Reviewranked Middlebury as one of the top 20 schools in the US for "best quality of life."There are over 140 registered student organizations at Middlebury. Students register for organizations of interest during the Fall Activities Fair in September.
The Middlebury Campusis the student weekly of Middlebury College.The Campuswas founded in 1900, and is entirely student-run.In 2019, theMiddlebury Independent, a monthly journal, was established.The Local Noodle, a satirical student publication founded in 2016, publishes multiple times a semester and maintains a consistent online presence.
WRMC-FMis Middlebury's student-volunteer-run radio station.
The median family income of Middlebury students is $244,300, with 53% of students coming from the top 5% highest-earning families and 14.2% from the bottom 60%.Middlebury College is the ranked 5th in the country for the most share (23%) of students coming from the top 1% of family income ($630,000 or more per year).
As of the 2022-2023 academic year, the student body consisted of 53% women and 47% men. 95% of the student population was from out of state.
*Nonresidents are reported separately regardless of race/ethnicity
Middlebury's Winter Carnival is the oldest student-run winter carnival in the country, started in 1923.The Winter Carnival is a weekend-long event and traditionally includes a bonfire and fireworks on the opening night, ski races at theMiddlebury College Snow Bowlon Friday and Saturday, and the Winter Ball on Saturday night.The Winter Carnival also puts on the Winter Carnival Ice Show, a figure skating event that showcases performances from local kids and teens, Middlebury students, and guest skaters.Notable guests include Swiss OlympianAlexia Paganiniin 2016 andJimmy Main 2015.
Middlebury offers a mid-year graduation for those students who complete coursework at the end of January. These students are usually "Febs," students who began their Middlebury careers as February first-years. The mid-year graduation tradition is for all graduating seniors to ski down theMiddlebury College Snow Bowlin their caps and gowns to receive their diplomas.
Middlebury Outdoor Programs organizes outdoor orientations for incoming students in September and February. These orientations involve several days of hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, snowshoeing, and other activities in the wilderness around Middlebury.
Following the New Traditions Contest initiated by President Laurie Patton in the spring of 2018, Middlebury held its first Panther Day on October 20, 2018. The new tradition was held during Homecoming Weekend and included a parade of student clubs and organizations, in an effort to build school spirit. A group of student protesters lined the side of the parade route to call attention to the lack of support by the college for survivors of sexual assault.
TheNew England Review(NER) is a quarterly literary journal published by Middlebury College.
NERpublishes poetry, fiction, translations, and a wide variety of non-fiction in each issue. It has published work by many who have gone on to win major awards such as thePulitzer Prize, theNational Book Award, and theNational Book Critics Circle Award.
Middlebury competes in theNew England Small College Athletic Conference. The Panthers lead theNESCACin total number of National Championships, having won 33 team championships since the conference lifted its ban on NCAA play in 1994.
In the early 20th century, Middlebury's traditional athletic rivals included theUniversity of VermontandNorwich University. In football, Middlebury is rivals withHamilton College; the rivalry dates to 1911 and since 1980 the game between the two schools has been called the "Rocking Chair Classic," with the Mack-Jack Rocking Chair going to the winner (Middlebury has historically dominated the rivalry).
The real-life version ofQuidditchwas brought to life in 2005 at Middlebury College, by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe, who later became the first commissioner of quidditch.It has grown into a distinct sport after 15 publications of rulebooks.