About us

Location	Burlington, United States	Funding Type	Public
No of Students	10700	Establishment	University
Founded In	1791	Estimated Cost of Living	14000 USD
Address	Burlington, VT 05405

Chartered in 1791

Chartered the same year that Vermont became the 14th state.
Established as the fifth college in New England (after Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown).
The initials UVM stand for the Latin words Universitas Viridis Montis, or University of the Green Mountains. The phrase appears on the university's official seal as Universitas V. Montis.

The Early Days

Much of the initial funding and planning for the university was undertaken by Ira Allen, who is honored as UVM's founder. His statue sits on the university's main green.
The citizens of Burlington helped fund the university's first building, and, when a fire destroyed it in 1824, also paid for its replacement, the Old Mill building.
The Marquis de Lafayette, a French general who became a commander in the American Revolution, laid the cornerstone for the Old Mill which still stands on University Row, along with Ira Allen Chapel, Billings Library, Williams Hall, Royall Tyler Theatre and Morrill Hall. A statue of Lafayette sits on the north end of the main green.

University's Public Status

Although it began as a private university, UVM attained quasi-public status with the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant College Act in 1862 and the addition of the State Agricultural College.
Today, the university blends the traditions of both a private and public university, drawing 6.2% (as of 2019) of its total operating budget from the state of Vermont.

History of Equality

Throughout its history, the University of Vermont has demonstrated its commitment to fairness and equality. It was the first American college or university with a charter plainly declaring that the "rules, regulations, and by-laws shall not tend to give preference to any religious sect or denomination whatsoever."
In addition, the university was an early advocate of both women's and African-Americans' participation in higher education. In 1871, UVM defied custom and admitted two women as students.
Four years later, it was the first American university to admit women to full membership into Phi Beta Kappa, the country's oldest collegiate academic honor society.
Likewise, in 1877, it initiated the first African-American into the society.

Why?

Five Top Reasons to Choose UVM

UVM is home to world-class scholars who love to teach.

At UVM, 98 percent of classes are taught by full-time faculty (with two percent taught by graduate students). That means you’ll learn from and be advised by world-class researchers, who often choose UVM as their home for its emphasis on undergraduate teaching.

Head into the field with a celebrated geologist researching Greenland’s melting ice sheets, do research in the chemistry lab with the inventor of a new way to manipulate single molecules, travel to Cuba with a professor making international headlines for an innovative Guantanamo Bay proposal, learn neuroscience from a College of Medicine doctor on a mission to make college a breeding ground for healthy habits and so much more.

Not too big, not too small.

With more than 100 majors to choose from, you’ll never feel constrained. But with an average class size of 30, you’ll never feel lost. UVM’s academic offerings provide both breadth and depth.

Burlington is the #1 college town in America.

Live music, award-winning restaurants, world culture, urban agriculture, a thriving art scene, and arguably the best sunsets in the east. Burlington can’t be beaten. Scroll through snapshots of some of what awaits you within just one mile of campus:

Learning here comes from real experience — and provides real opportunities after graduation.

When the state legislature is your laboratory or a herd of dairy cows is your responsibility, your education is engaging you with the real world. Read more about the service-learning courses that bring UVM students out of the classroom and into the city, state, and countryside.

At UVM, 91 percent of seniors engage in research, an internship, or other experience-based learning. These real-life experiences -- easy to access through our Career + Experience Hub -- prepare our students for life After UVM.

The University of Vermont is a community with values.

Respect, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, responsibility. UVM's values stretch back to its founding. We were the first institution of higher education to declare public support for freedom of religion and the first university to admit women and African-Americans into Phi Beta Kappa. Today, we’re nationally recognized as a leader on pressing issues like sustainability and LGBTQA rights.

And our students lead the way — whether working as Eco-Reps or Engineers Without Borders, devoting their spring break to service or winning a national contest three years in a row to raise money to combat Alzheimer’s. At UVM, you’ll find a way to get involved, give back, and change the world.

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