Photo: Castleton University. Retrieved from: www.vtlakesregionchamber.org
Dedicated to higher learning, Castleton University in Vermont supports teaching through close student-faculty relationships, outside-the-classroom learning and a supportive community. A public liberal-arts college, Castleton University prepares students for engaging careers and becoming environmentally conscious citizens.
Enrolling around 2,000 students, Castleton University offers more than 30 majors ranging from Environmental Studies to Radio and Television. Sixty-seven percent of classes have an average class size of 19 students or less giving students individualized attention and support.
School History
The 18th oldest college in the United States, Castleton University started to come to fruitation as early as 1787. The Vermont General Assembly chartered the Rutland County Grammar School and taught Greek and Latin.
It wasn’t until 1867 that the school transformed into a four-year institution with the founding of State Normal School. The school was privately owned by Abel Leavenworth for 45 years until he sold it to the state of Vermont.
The school became more modernized once the state bought the school and put Caroline Woodruff in charge. Following the writings of Vermont philosopher John Dewey, Woodruff believed students learned best by combining standard teaching methods as well as “doing.” During her time at the school, Woodruff got many notable people to speak at the school including, Helen Keller, Norman Rockwell, and Robert Frost. Woodruff would go on to become the first woman president of the National Education Association.
The school officially changed its name to Castleton State College in 1962 when it became part of the Vermont State Colleges, and is now known as Castleton University. Although the name has changed several times since its inception over 225 years ago, the college still remains dedicated to students, Vermont, and giving students a hands-on experience when it comes to their education.
Campus Life
Students and Faculty at Castleton University continues to dedicate their time and energy in making the 160-acre campus environmentally-friendly. Through the years administrators and students at the institution have gone so far as to purchase hybrid cars, using “green” construction in new buildings and installing energy-efficient lights.
When not protecting the environment, students have many options when taking a break from studying. They can join numerous clubs such as the Literary Club, Business Club, and the Outreach Committee.
Castleton University offers over 20 varsity sports and competes in Division III athletics. Although the school has not had any recent victories, the Men’s Soccer team won the national championship in 1963. The school also offers other sports such as ice hockey, lacrosse, basketball, and field hockey.
Living on campus makes it easier for students to take part on campus. There are approximately 54% of students that live on campus in one of the numerous co-ed dorms offered. Most of the dorm rooms are doubles while a handful of rooms are triple occupancy and quadruple occupancy. Each room comes with a bed, wardrobe, curtains, and desk while each resident hall has laundry facilities, internet access and cable television.
Financial Aid
As a state college, Castleton University offers both in-state tuition to Vermont residents and out-of-state tuition for the remaining students. The total cost of in-state tuition is approximately $20,000 with out-of-state tuition around $34,000. The financial aid department at Castleton University claims that 80% of their students receive financial aid in the form of work-study, loans, grants, and scholarships while the average award given to students per year is around $9,000.
