At Bennington, learning and making are inseparable. The faculty are committed not just intellectually, but also as leading practitioners in their field. Students develop ideas in the classroom, and then test those ideas where it counts—through hands-on work in the world. The result is a learning experience free of artificial barriers where students imagine, shape, and pursue their best work. A Bennington Education Graduate-style academic advising allows students to map a territory for study and practice that goes beyond the bounds of a traditional major and hones their ability to thrive in a world without givens, to tolerate ambiguity, and to find solutions even when a path is not laid out before them. Bennington is the only college in the country to require an annual internship since its founding. For two months every winter, students work with an organization or institution of their choosing, anywhere in the world, to apply what they have learned on campus and to focus what they study and make at Bennington—engaging the field that interests them without waiting for graduation. Bennington is a highly engaged community of active makers and practitioners. The faculty and administration are mentors and peers ready to engage with students’ work in addition to being subject matter experts. The Bennington community extends far beyond the campus, offering connections to alumni, colleagues, and employers around the world.

Small College / Big Impact: Bennington students graduate with a capacity to get it done, to put themselves out there, to find a novel solution. The proof is in the outsized impact our alumni have on the world’s stage.

Bennington holds a distinguished place among American colleges and universities. It was the first to include the visual and performing arts in a liberal arts education, and it is the only college to require that students spend a term—every year—at work in the world. At Bennington, learning and making—on campus and in the field—are inseparable, and its graduates are noted for their outsized impact on the world’s stage. This 24-7 campus celebrates the ongoing making of work—shared on walls, in shows and performances, in lectures and readings, and in electric conversations—and believes that equity, diversity, and inclusivity are vital to a collaborative community.